Yesterday there was (finally) an article in the LEG stating that there will be groups forming with the purpose of formulating long term plans for the downtown area. I have had a long term interest in the downtown so I do have a few thoughts along these lines. Ok, here is my plan…
I envision the downtown area as an “entertainment district” with restaurants and bars and a few other appropriate shops. Anchoring the district will be a multi-function facility that could be used for a large variety of functions including concerts during festival as well as throughout the rest of the year, weddings and wedding receptions, teen dances, conferences, banquets, and other events. I would love to see a regular feature be an teen dance where Lancaster’s garage bands could show off their talent and teens could hang out without spending a ton of money.
Possible candidates would have to include the Elks – already nicely decorated, large, and downtown. Another candidate would have to be the Art & Clay building – nicely decorated and centrally located. There are, however, other possible locations. Functions would be catered with downtown caterers like Four Reasons and Tammijo’s.
Financing of the multi-function facility: I would like to see the multi-function building to be locally and widely financed by direct subscriptions from local residents perhaps with a maximum investment of say a thousand dollars. I believe that financing the building in this manner would promote wide public “ownership” of the facility – a place owned by and for the people of Lancaster. In addition to a share of profit from the venture the share-owners could also be subject to facility discounts – discounted “member” concert tickets and reduced rental rates.
Who’s in? I’m serious!
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February 3rd, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Im interested in the investment. IM IN. I d like to see what it would take to purchase one of the downtown buildings not in use. Where do I go and who do i ask?
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Used to be a website listing downtown properties for sale or rent. Apparently bad SEO, since it doesn’t jump out on google. The chamber should have a list.
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Here you go…
http://www.ci.lancaster.oh.us/dept/econdev/site-listing.asp
No bargains here! I would expect them to be on the market for a while.
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Wasn’t the one I was thinking of. It focused on downtown.
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:11 pm
What about a new Indoor Roller Rink, the only one close is in Amanda. That would be great for the downtown or anywhere in the city
February 4th, 2010 at 12:23 am
Like where they put A Ha?
February 4th, 2010 at 7:47 am
There used to be a listing on the Lancaster Main Street website – no longer there.
Indoor roller rink – somehow I have serious doubts about economic feasibility.
February 4th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
As long as we have city leader with no fore sight we will have no downtown. Crabby, you have some good ideas… but like all pipe dreams ..when the smoke clears and we come back from dream world and wake up.. we all know it just ain’t going to happen.
First off you said entertainment and then you said bars… all the churches would be on this like stink on a pile….We all know what one chuch group did to a nice motel and br in town… thy run it into the ground and lied to everyone…
The leader of the town want up to be good little citizens.. just shut up paytaxes and work and then die… and the utt most is not to make waves on their pond or lake….
when th city people put people ahead of something they do it for the show.. and a little money thrown to the person… remember the city wants show horses and not work horses… put on good show and mak the people think you really care and then drift away from that point when something ele comes up in he news that we now need a speacial study for.
I would like a rule change.. you have to live in lancaster for at least 20 years before you can run for any office or be appointed to chair a comm. or special interest group. At least with that in place you would be less likly to have he wool pulled over your eyes…
Enough said…for now… “The Soap Opera, Lancaster” right after how the stomach turns…..
February 4th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
ODDMAN: you want to mandate that somebody has to have lived in Lanaster for at least 20 years be able to run for any office?
I think THAT is the main problem here— 20 years is a long enough time to become one of the “good ole’ boys” I’d rather have somebody new who will bring fresh ideas to the table.
Crabby- alot of good ideas but those downtown buildings are too expensive to buy and maintain. You got any idea what it costs to heat and cool an old building the size of the Elks?
After thinking about this a bit- what’s the big deal with “downtown” anyway? Why do we have to save businesses down there? Why don’t those businesses just conform and move to better locations and quit whinning about not having any customers downtown? You don’t hear the citizens of Pickerington whinning and complaining about their downtown do you? no, because they have succomed to the fact that everything is expanding
February 4th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
You’d be amazed how affordable downtown would be if people who understood the local market did the buying and selling. It’s hard to compete against pie-in-the-sky out of towners and people spending other people’s money.
The best offer the county had on the building from a legitimate buyer was $65,000 (with one other offer at $50,000), until the Glass Museum agreed to pay $195,000 for it as soon as they could get the money from someone else. That’s 30% more than the county paid for it AND an 83 car parking lot, worth probably $165,000.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:51 am
“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”-
Japanese proverb
Pretty well explains the people who think in this town, versus the powers that be.
February 5th, 2010 at 10:19 am
That proverb sums up the situation exactly.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:47 am
How about a casino. We could have a little Los Vegas right here in Lancaster, Ohio.
February 5th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Lankstir used to be known as Little Las Vegs
February 6th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
ah “Little Las Vegas” those were the days… cops were in on the take… protection to and from the airport. the upper floors of down town were like vegas
wheels, poker and blackjack… hostess girls and all….this was a time when money and businesses where changing hands on a weekly base….this was a time of wine women and booze.. no drugs needed…this was a happy time…
February 7th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
CFG, I too agree that the best vision for downtown is as an entertainment district. It is something that LA really lacks across the entire spectrum; entertainment for kids and entertainment for adults. So this would mean a roller rink and bars are most likely a part of the answer (if they can be done in an economically feasible way). For those that think more booze is impossible due to the crazy christians, I assure you that is not the case. I myself have explored ways to a license and there are ways to do it where local input can be marginalized.
To think of downtown as a retail district is assanine and archaic, to that that just restaurants are the answer don’t realize that there needs to be other reasons to drive people downtown first, then they will eat and shop at a few little funky shops that fill in the gap.
If you are looking at a cornerstone facility like your thinking it will have to be multi-functional like you mentioned. A single screen cinema that can also provide a stage for small acts, perhaps a roller rink as well, combined with some other uses. The Elks would be a great fit (assuming they are truly closed for good).