{"id":29396,"date":"2017-04-09T17:57:11","date_gmt":"2017-04-09T21:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=29396"},"modified":"2017-04-09T17:57:11","modified_gmt":"2017-04-09T21:57:11","slug":"listen-up-expropriation-of-empire-lot-has-merit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/listen-up-expropriation-of-empire-lot-has-merit\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen Up! Mayor’s idea to expropriate Empire lot has merit – Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Hugh Mackenzie
Huntsville Doppler<\/p><\/div>\n

Maybe he\u2019s right<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mayor Scott Aitchison stuck his foot in the doo doo last week and it touched off a mild storm of controversy. At a meeting of the Economic Development Committee he threw out the possibility of expropriating the vacant Empire Hotel lot which sits in all its ugly splendour at the corner of Main and Centre Streets.<\/p>\n

Huntsville Doppler published this story and the response was mixed. One person remarked that expropriation is ugly. It is. Been there, done that. Another suggested that the Mayor was just blowing smoke. I doubt that. I think he knew exactly what he was doing. Someone else suggested that the Town place a time limit on empty land and buildings. Other than the fact that it may be illegal, not a bad idea. Still another reader hit the nail on the head when they asked what the big picture was for downtown renewal. That is the big question.<\/p>\n

We have many good merchants on our Main Street and they attract many thousands of visitors to our historic downtown area. However, it has been more than a decade since there have been any real improvements. Vacant properties such as the Empire lot and other locations reduce the amount of funds the B.I.A. has to spruce up the downtown. Frankly, our Main Street is bordering on shoddiness. The downtown area is the heart of any viable community and we cannot allow it to slide into mediocracy or worse. The Empire lot and the adjoining empty buildings can continue to be a terrible blight on our downtown or with foresight, they can become a flagship of our community.<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

I have never believed that our municipality should be in the landlord business or owning real estate, unless it is for public use, such as the Library, the Civic Centre, the Summit Centre, our Public Works facility or park land. However, there are exceptions and the Empire Lot and even the two empty buildings beside it, may be just that.<\/p>\n

The problem is that people get greedy when they believe they are in a position to make a bundle. The Mayor believes the Empire lot is overpriced and given the other hat he wears as a real estate agent, he should know what he is talking about. The Empire lot has sat empty and unkempt for years because no developer is going to pay above market value for land. If the Town were able to expropriate the property at market price and then sell it at the fair price to a qualified developer, then we might see some real action on our Main Street. Imagine what that block would look like, from Hutcheson, Reynolds & Caswell Insurance, to Centre Street, with retail shops, condos and parking. While waiting for that, the property could be turned into green space where people could converge and enjoy downtown activity. It would look a heck of a lot better than it does now,<\/p>\n

The bottom line however, is that we really need an effective and active Master Plan for our downtown core, which now pretty well runs from Centre Street to Highway 60. We could start with more efficient use of our green space. Kent Park, at the corner of Brunel and Main, was intended as a nice little oasis on Main Street. It is anything but, with crowded parking and a retail outlet smack dab in the middle of it. One of our readers has quite correctly pointed that out. The Parkette on the other side of the bridge could use some sprucing up as well, so that it becomes a nice place by the river, for folks to sit and visit. As for River Mill Park, I have long argued that we should get the parking out of the middle of it, to provide real green space in our downtown core. Sadly, that will be a long time coming but imaginative planning for the Empire Block might provide enough covered parking to make it possible.<\/p>\n

Beer Lake of course, is also an eyesore. With almost every store empty it has become derelict. It is a more difficult problem to solve because of cross ownership of the property. But surely doing nothing is not the answer. I know of at least one of the owners who is anxious to solve the problem. Is it possible that the Town could facilitate a solution?<\/p>\n

The time has arrived for Town officials to become involved in ensuring the vitality of our downtown core. The Mayor\u2019s suggestion to consider the expropriation of the Empire property may be the best way to kick start that process. With a proper plan in place, maybe he\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free, twice-weekly newsletter here<\/u>.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maybe he\u2019s right Mayor Scott Aitchison stuck his foot in the doo doo last week and it touched off a mild storm of controversy. At a meeting of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[442,829],"class_list":["post-29396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","tag-hugh-mackenzie","tag-listen-up"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nListen Up! Mayor's idea to expropriate Empire lot has merit - Opinion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It has been many years since there have been any significant improvements to Huntsville's downtown. 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