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Post by Sparky on Oct 9, 2007 19:42:45 GMT -5
Ok, not to say there will be a new arena, I just would like to know your thoughts. I've been doing some community planning lately and studying for an exam dealing with urban planning and this just kinda popped into my head. I'll have some other polls on other subjects over the next few weeks.
Please let me know why you chose what you chose.
The actual areas are
1. demo the houses between 675 and Potter street station and create a sort of up-scale urban development anchored by new arena.
2. There are several areas near St. Mary's hospital, demo existing building and create a mixed use (shop, offices, restaurants) arena.
3. Basically the shopping plaza between Genessee and Johnson along with the used car lot and the buildings along Niagara
4. Behind the Knights Inn in the field that is adjacent to 675
5. Gratiot near K-mart, there is a large field just past K-mart, behind Saginaw Valley Bone and Joint. Not sure if that's big enough though.
6. Tear down all those buildings where the Kroger store is (Kroger is moving to Green acres) and build a mixed use facility to house the displaced shops and the Texan and apple bagel restaurants.
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Post by MidlandSpiritFan on Oct 9, 2007 19:47:40 GMT -5
Are there merits in considering locations more centrally located between Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City versus just Saginaw??
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Post by SaginawGensFan on Oct 10, 2007 13:14:32 GMT -5
GREAT THREAD!!! I like the idea of the Tittabawassee/Town Center area, even tho it makes for a longer drive for me coming from Hemlock. However, it could draw new people in who were "afraid" to go downtown, it would be super easy on/off of I-675, plenty to do in the area (places to eat, shop, whatever before/after games & events), plus it puts the arena just a little closer to Bay City & Midland (not by much tho) to draw from there. Face it, for anyone living outside of Saginaw, the general consensus is that downtown Saginaw is scary & dangerous. I myself do not feel that way - not around the arena anyway - but that is how a lot of people feel. It could cause chaos with traffic out there, though, in an already chaotic traffic area.
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Post by donjohnson on Oct 10, 2007 18:22:08 GMT -5
Ok, i gave this a lot of thought and I eventually voted for the Towne Centre location. Here are my thoughts on each site and why i did or didn't pick it... 1) Potter St...the other home areas around where this development would go are too low-income and "up-scale" tenants would not lease space once a demographic survey is completed. 2) Areas around St. Mary's would be difficult because of parking and the limited areas of commercial zoning due to the "cathedral district". 3) Riverfront Shopping Plaza: This was a VERY CLOSE second. Covenant Hospital can actually act as a second anchor tenant to develop strong storefronts between there and the arena and the developments could actually spread all the way to old-town and create condos along the river (like everyone always plans). 4) This makes the most sense because of the growth success already seen there...there would be ample parking and many other businesses would be able to cross-promote with opportunites for business after games/concerts/etc. 5) Gratiot near K-Mart: although it's the closest to me, it doesn't make sense since it's not near a freeway. 6) There are some good aspects to the State St. such as the Wal-Mart and Menards nearby but lack of available parking is the major deterrent to this idea. Hope this helps your project! Please help my karma points if it does!  |
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Post by Sparky on Oct 10, 2007 21:23:29 GMT -5
Thank's for the responses so far. The input is great.
SSF, there are many merits to a regional center say on the US-10 corridor, however I personally am dealing with thoughts of how to revitalize Saginaw. Both Midland and Bay City have nice downtown areas. My goal is really to keep the facility downtown, I only offered the other sites because I knew others would be drawn to locations away from downtown as SGF noted.
DJ, thank you for your detailed analysis of each site. Very good input. My comments are;
1) The potter street site would entail tearing down all "unworthy" structures, any that were worthy would be moved to the perimeter of the site and restored and used for business uses. A division wall to the East would be erected to limit access to just the three east west roads.
2) The Cathedral district is farther east, I was thinking of vacant and industrial land east of Washington near the at&t building or even along the river where the farmers market is.
5) I agree, though I think a huge reason that part of Saginaw is stagnant in growth is the lack of a freeway. I think it's high time we get some kind of connector that connects US-10 to MBS and then down through shields and links up with I-75 in the Bridgeport area. That would open up a huge area. If you look at other MI cities, they all have beltways and 2-3-4 highways. I was just in Grand Rapids and there is a boat load of highways running through that town.
The rest I agree on. Parking issues are always prevalent in any urban development so a parking structure would be needed at any of the sites.
Thank's all for participating, I hope some others chime in too.
More downtown polls to come!
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Post by spiritfan8 on Oct 10, 2007 22:21:23 GMT -5
As a Bay Cityan, and a transplanted one at that, there are indeed some areas I am not familiar with. But here is my take, for what it's worth. I chose the Temple theater are, for reasons already stated (already growth in the are, etc). I am a STRONG BELIEVER in the integrity of a downtown area, and this is the site I feel would best represent that. Other sites are also in the downtown area, but don't have the easy freeway access that 675 gives to the Temple area, that I know of.
My second place would actually be the State and Weinicke area, assuming a parking structure would be part of the plan. It would be re-using an abandoned site, and while on the "wrong" side of town for BC and Midland, it is adjacent to an expanding part of Saginaw and the township. (Not to mention it is close to Nouvel High, but I don't think that counts in the urban planning scheme of things!)
Very interesting poll! Enjoyed considering the options.
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Post by bpfox on Oct 11, 2007 16:02:06 GMT -5
My vote is, "none of the above". Here's my reasoning. You cannot begin to discuss revitalization, especially of the downtown area, by taking the Dow Event Center out of the picture. It is vital that this building stay there and be the center of any new development downtown. What I would like to see happen is the demolition of the International Center across from the Event center. I would like to see a setup similar to what London has across from the John Labatte Centre. An open air "farmers market" type building with a large open park in front. Like in London, the park would be there for summer festivals and also serve as a skating area in the winter as the main open space would be flooded for that purpose. This type of development would fit nicely with the upgrades to Johnson Street and provide an oportunity for the Hotel to reopen and be sucessful. The downtown area has come a long way in the last 10 years, but has a long way to go. The sucess of the "Friday Night Live" series in the summer should be proof enough that if packaged right, people will come downtown.
It's funny you should have picked the area across the river from the Temple Theater as a potential location as I have long thought that area would have made a great location for a baseball diamond with the downtown skyling in the background. But Midland landed the baseball team so that pretty much ends that discussion.
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Post by Sparky on Oct 11, 2007 18:02:18 GMT -5
BP Fox, I completely agree with your reasoning for keeping the Dow and in a separate poll, I will have a question about what to do with it EVENTUALLY should a new arena be built. Revitalizing downtown definitely starts with the Dow and the Temple and MCVI and other recent endeavors. I'm kinda starting at the end of revitalization (because there was a hockey link)
I disagree with tearing down the international center, I understand what you would like to accomplish, in the world of urban design that is called a pocket park. I'd rather see that behind Mc D's or maybe in the parking lot across from the bus station. I think the international center and the former Hilton/crowne plaza/Howard Johnson/ any other name it went by should both be turned into a convention center. Add a sky-walk from the hotel to the international center and then make ball rooms and convention rooms, small restaurants and the like. You've got plenty of parking, things to do across the street and around the corner. Then team up with SVSU to provide 2 day seminars in engineering, nursing, education, ect... The old saying, "if you build it they will come" of course you need someone to market the crap out of it. If any of you deep pocket developers are interested, I designed a sweet night club for the roof that is almost all glass (I was bored one summer night when there was no hockey). I'll get into the cultural revitalization in another thread.
Spiritfan8, thank's for your comments. I actually live in Bay county now, but I grew up near the Tim Hortons on State and Michigan. Saginaw has a special place in my heart I would love nother more than to see downtown and old town follow in the foot steps of Bay City.
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Post by bpfox on Oct 11, 2007 19:05:02 GMT -5
Sparky, someday I'll have to share with you my plans for "The Hat Trick Lounge" somewhere near the event center. Perhaps the old "Schaefer Hat Store" would be a good location. I am a big "Downtown" fan and believe the downtown location for arenas is by far the best. Next weekend I will complete the OHL circuit of arenas and there is no question the downtown ones have more character than those lost amongst the shopping centers in the suburbs.
That said, in keeping with the "spirit" of your poll, I will have to say the west side "riverview" and "downtown view" location would be the better choice. That said, our downtown is really a one sided affair as the west bank area lacks the downtown feel. Perhaps a new arena there might cause the downtown to spill over the river and spark development along Niagara Street. That's a vision I could get behind.
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Post by Sparky on Oct 11, 2007 20:14:56 GMT -5
Thank's all for the replies. If you don't mind I would like to pick your brains on other revitalization issues. I have a strong connection to Saginaw also and it kills me to see beautiful old buildings boarded up or covered over with fake this and fake that. Or worse, torn down for parking lots. I wish I could have been alive when Eisenhower gave a speech in downtown, or when the trolly's roamed the streets. What happened???
Anyway, I personally am trying to get more involved with what is happening in downtown (and old town too) and I have many great ideas. Things that may never be realized in my lifetime but the city has to grow again someday right? So if you'll indulge me, I would like to add a new question about revitalizing downtown every few days or so.
SaginawGensfan, is that OK with you?
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Post by SaginawGensFan on Oct 12, 2007 14:10:30 GMT -5
Thank's all for the replies. If you don't mind I would like to pick your brains on other revitalization issues. I have a strong connection to Saginaw also and it kills me to see beautiful old buildings boarded up or covered over with fake this and fake that. Or worse, torn down for parking lots. I wish I could have been alive when Eisenhower gave a speech in downtown, or when the trolly's roamed the streets. What happened??? Anyway, I personally am trying to get more involved with what is happening in downtown (and old town too) and I have many great ideas. Things that may never be realized in my lifetime but the city has to grow again someday right? So if you'll indulge me, I would like to add a new question about revitalizing downtown every few days or so. SaginawGensfan, is that OK with you? Absolutely! This is fascinating to me, too - as well as to others it appears! |
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