In my opinion, there are MANY reasons we are losing business in DTWD – the economy, the user paid parking, disagreements between city leaders business owners and/or building owners, Michigan Avenue traffic being more of an east to west “freeway”, it not looking enticing enough to want to stop, signs that are hard to see when one drives by, little to no pedestrian traffic on Michigan Avenue, not enough of a variety of shops and/or not having the type of shops that we used to have and on and on and on.

This is sad and I still have a hard time believing that someone in the private and/or government sector cannot seem to get the recipe right to make DTWD a thriving downtown as it was for decades. In my numerous meetings with city leaders and business owners in DTWD with many valid suggestions from me and many others, it always seems that our city leaders and or business people down there always have a reason why this or that won’t work.

With such closed minds, it’s no wonder nothing is working. Sorry if I sound pessimistic, as I’m usually the ultimate optimist, but this is the way it is and after almost 3 years of doing my best to try to get something done down there, if no ones mind is open to suggestions, then it doesn’t surprise me as to why it is the way it is in DTWD. Sad, but true…

The only last option I believe we have is that WE the voters, taxpayers and residents MUST let our city and business leaders know that we DEMAND they make changes for the better down there.