According to comments on the previous blog entry, the look and feel of downtown is on our minds, so let’s talk more about what we would like to see happen there. The plantings have always been a positive for downtown. At one time Brownsville was listed as the "prettiest town in West Tennessee" in the Tennessee vacation guide book. So it seems to be a given that we want and appreciate the flowers and hard work of the city workers who keep our flower beds looking so nice.
Period lighting would be great. But what period? And will brick crosswalks really make our downtown more appealing? It seems to me that some of these things are just plain out of character for Brownsville. Which brings up another point: What is the character of Brownsville?
Wouldn't it be more appealing to make sure our buildings are in good repair and cosmetically pleasing? That in itself should attract more businesses to locate on the square. Which is, afterall, what we are after. Or is it?
12 years ago
Hi Sonia, Just to let you know you have readers on this blog I thought I would comment and maybe others will follow suit.
ReplyDeleteYes Brownsville is a beautiful place and deserves the attention of all who live here to keep it that way. Excluding 20 yrs in Memphis and 6 yrs Army life, I am a lifelong resident.
I think the biggest problem is the fact that Court Square is a major thorofare for residence and others passing through going from one side of town to the other in all four directions. Some thought should be given into making it a shopping center with adequate parking and bypass through traffic around it. In other words it needs to be a shopping area to drive to instead of through.
How that can be done is a challenge I know, but is feasable and worth the City's time to consider. It could work as a starter to block east/west traffic at Wilson and Jackson and bypass it down College and/or Jefferson.
That has already been done temporarily when festivities are going on on the square. These two bypass routes could be made more accessable and convenient to traffic flow and would make it a quiet more comfortable place to shop around the square. Good resturants and shops could open there and would be a good place for residence and tourists alike.
Anyway, that's my two cents. Maybe some other readers will post their ideas.
Robert L.(Bobby)Hooper
Reconfgiuring our thorofare is an interesting idea. I agree our downtown needs to be a destination, but I'm not sure taking the traffic away is the way to accomplish this.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree that local traffic just traveling from one side of town to another could use an alternative route. Our current bypass is certainly not the answer for that, although, thankfully, it has taken most of the commercial truck traffic away from the square.
Mr. Hooper, your suggestion is very interesting and certainly worth consideration.
Sonia
I personally am concerned with the empty buildings around the court square and as you travel down East Main. It looks like we are closing up. Some buildings appear to be under remodeling but have looked that way for several months. I miss the old Felsenthal store. I think back on that store with fond memories. What replaced it truly didn't help the courst square at all. The Court House is beautiful and landscaped very nice. I would love to see improvement and more shops doing business on the square.
ReplyDeleteWe need a plan!
I am located on the Court Square and did take on a tremendous task of finishing out and remodeling my 9,000 sq.ft. 3 story building - I also bought and remodeled the building across from Morris Jewelers where Jim Haywood and A-1 Styles is located - I would certainly do it again if I could figure out how to make it cash flow or that I could remodel one and re-sell - With the buiding code requirements in place, it is VERY EXPENSIVE to fix up a building around the square - We need some type of incentive package(s) to make this worth while - The old Chinese Restaurant is a special case - I can fill you in if you want to call me - LIGHTING I have addressed before - PLEASE CONSIDER USING THE OLD LIGHT POSTS THAT ARE STILL SCATTERED AROUND THE COURT SQUARE - This would have to save a bunch of money and also leave some of the originality on the court square - the flowers are beautiful! However, someone needs to design (or look) at an overall long term plan when replacing landscaping - Why did we recently plant Oak trees in the sidewalks? Knowing they will get too big, break up the sidewalks and have to be removed in a few short years? Come on you dreamers! If you have ever thought you would like to open a business - do it now! There are available buildings to buy or rent and interest rates are really low! Be adventurous!
ReplyDelete