By Doreen Mack
There has been a lot of controversy and negative press over the last few years regarding our downtown and the movement of the 20/20 group. Many of you remember Carson City having a downtown. Some of you are new to our area within the last 30 years, and some are of a generation who grew up here and only know what you have been familiar with. In all these scenarios change is very unsettling.
For just a minute, put your feelings aside and imagine having a downtown business and watching the cars drive by without any recognition of your business. You see people only using the highway to get from one end of town to another. There are no parked cars to show that there is any activity, much less pedestrians, and businesses look closed. Would you want to open a retail business in this environment when you or your customers do not have direct access to your store? And if this was how you made your living, would you want to open your business downtown knowing that current traffic is at 1972 levels and this is only the first phase of the freeway? Imagine when that freeway is completed and the importance of working on this now!
Unlike a majority of citizens in our community that get a weekly pay check from their employer, retail businesses and restaurants generate their own income and are reliant upon the community to support them. But, you say, there is no place to shop. And that is the point of the 20/20 group. Without a strong downtown core we cannot recruit new businesses that will help rejuvenate our economy. Mainstreet is the vessel to bring walk-in traffic to support the businesses on Curry St. and the surrounding areas.
The 20/20 group is about establishing a strong downtown core that is people and business friendly with two lanes, parking, bike lanes, wider sidewalks that would be ADA and senior accessible as well as pocket parks. You can get a feeling for this by looking at King Street by the Brewery Arts Center. This would create a walkable friendly environment that will attract new retail businesses. “Historic Mainstreet” from Fifth Street to Robinson or Highway 50 is the first impression that people will see driving through our downtown with parking spots made three feet longer to allow for parking adjustments to be made in the parking spot, not in the street. Don’t we want a destination place that will attract people with events, shopping and eating establishments? A place that will give tourists and residents a feeling for the flavor of our community and where our children would want to stay and raise their children?
Highway 395 is and has been a main thoroughfare for downtown for many years, but there was a time when downtown had a mainstreet with 2 lanes, parking and shopping. There was a social media between the merchants and the public. This was a wonderful period in Carson City’s history. What happened? In the late 60’s early 70’s we went from two to four lanes and it killed almost every (Casinos exempt) downtown business. It was a time of many changes, one being that the malls came into the outskirts of town and drew people and businesses away from the core. For us that remember, Meyer’s Hardware was the last business standing and it was a sad day when it closed. Lad Furlong, the owner said, “I can no longer compete with the big box stores and with no parking there was no reason for people to come downtown.”
Then in 1996 came the fence that thankfully the 20/20 group got it removed. Since the removal of the fence it has improved some businesses. What this did was merge businesses and people because there is no fence barrier that suggests you stay out. This is very prominent when there are events. For the first time in years you can see the fronts of the businesses. By the way, the original Historic Iron Fence in front of the Capitol Building remains as part of our history.
Support the existing local businesses and help recruit new ones. This needs to be done before the completion of the freeway. Let’s not repeat history, let’s create together a vital and economic “Historic Downtown.” Please think about this, not just as a highway to get through town, but being part of a business community that creates our downtown. If you want to be an informed citizen and have a voice, attend the next BOS meeting at 3pm. on Thursday, December 19, at the Community Center in the Sierra Room. Look for the meeting and time to be announced in the paper as we get closer.
Click here to view (and LIKE!) Carson City Downtown 20/20 on Facebook to keep updated on the latest activities.
