Verdin PAC

just wondering what the nattering nabobs think of this one...

I'm with pacman

I agree with everyone on the usage of private funds for any endeavor in the downtown area. I also agree with wasteful on the suggestion that Middletown, given the general populace of the town (ie- mostly working class/moderate to lower income), won't support the arts, both in concept and in the prices. Owning art, for the most part, is a luxury that, I would imagine, most Middletonians can't (or won't be interested) in purchasing. The idea of trying to get Middletown to be a fancy, upscale, "cultural" city just doesn't fit the "climate" of the town. I believe it is destined (and thought by most people) to be the working class city between two larger ones. JMO

wasteful wrote: Few hookers jeezzz they took out 10 or so in the last week or two.  Of course a John had to run over a kid before the hooker issue got anyones attention.

 

Just some info in looking at the PAC in Ashland, Rising Sun and Cincy.

Pacman - thank you for the statistics.  It is amazing the only center that is currently running at capacity is the one located next to the casinos - a major tourist attraction.  We do not have that type of traffic in Middletonw to support the artists.  I think the information that is was in the paper is reversed - you have a successful studio near an already established tourist area.  Not a studio bringing in business to establish a community. 

What is the dam infatuation with an arts district anyway? Don't understand why you would want to fashion a downtown theme after an interest (the arts) that would attract such a small percentage of the population.......and, in Middletown, the epitome of blue collar working people, no less!!! Most of us aren't interested in the arts. Most of us working people are interested in sports, movies and music, etc. as items to spend our disposable income (assuming any of us have disposable income anymore). Amazing, illogical thinking on the part of the city developers IMO. Much better, IMO, to do as Bobbie's post suggests and procure a casino.....THEN build the artzy thing, restaurants, hotels and supporting cast around that. A casino as a central theme and main interest drawing point makes much more sense. A casino is going to draw many more people to the downtown- 7 days a week-24 hours a day, as opposed to the smaller percentage, during limited operating times, that an arts studio would attract. Do you see more people at a casino, or around an arts district? JMO

Vet Middletown leaders and the same old people who have always gotten their way have forgotten the basic building blocks of any community/city/town and that is to be a desirable place to live.

I'm optimistic about PAC filling the old Mabley and Carew department store only because it has the potential to attract a creative group of people. many are nostalgic for the downtown we remember from our youth - a downtown that existed because people worked there.

today's business doesn't require that sales be local. our Middletown facility has no local customers - only two in Ohio. but we sell all over the world. we're here because it's dirt cheap - something artists and start-up engineers love.

should be interesting to see how the artists react to Middletown - can only hope they're not too disappointed at the entrenched provincialism.

Pacman nailed it Squeem.

Pac- you mention in your post " the same old people who have always gotten their way have forgotten the basic building blocks........" I remember a time in this town when the old guard was comprised of some people who actually made decent decisions while running a town that provided everything on your list of basics for this city and made this town a very enjoyable one to live in. The old guard of 40 years ago demonstrated some competence and direction for this city and actually saw to it that it was accomplished. Now, with the old guard gone, we have what I will term the "new breed outsiders" with the likes of Gilleland, Kohler, Robinette, Carolus, Landen and others who seem to be less competent, less able to make logical decisions, less able to find a town identity, less able to run the town in a quality manner. I, myself, don't blame the old guard for the demise of Middletown as much as I blame the new breed outsiders, who have trickled into town over time, assembled and basically brought the town to it's knees. They have failed to maintain the progress that was shown at one time many years ago. It has gone steadily downhill since the 70's. It will hit rock bottom soon, if we retain the quality of leadership we currently have. We must purge the outsiders through a new council that has cutting the deadwood out on their mind. JMO

"I know them to hold the best interests of the city at heart if not always their head"- squeemy

If that be true, squeemy, why do these same people, who hold the "interest of the city", try their level best to destroy it by the mis-management of funds, mis-allocation of priorities, lack of sense of direction, non-provision of basics, and the town cancer called Section 8? What you have stated doesn't reflect in their actions.

Yes, folks are set in their ways in this town. Been that way since I was around in the early 50's. Some are stubborn transplanted Kentuckians sprinkled with Middletown born residents here. Always has been that way. More reason for their representatives- (ie city leaders and council members) to stay in touch with the people's wants and needs and provide them with such. Trouble is, the current leadership refuses to listen to the people. (except a small select group, of course) All the more reason for the majority of us to dislike the people that run the ship.

The consideration of a major steel employer providing viable jobs to the people years ago is quite different than the topic of considering an arts district in a dying downtown area. The arts district idea and impact doesn't have the same punch as that of investing in a major employer in town. Don't know about your comparison. JMO

"Is Middletown fallow ground for new seed?" What makes for a "fertile environment for growth?" "Does the general dispostion of the people make a difference?" I'll take a shot here....

Fallow ground for new seed- No other choice. Middletown has always been a blue-collar industrial town. People had many choices until the beginning of the end for the paper mills and for Armco as to prosperity. Now, with industry drying up here and in the Rust Belt, we, like all the other Rust Belt towns, must find a new identity and town theme. Should have started with city council in the 70's when Armco started it's downsizing. Should have become diverse to absorb downtrends in certain technologies. Should have gone after research centers, corporate warehousing operations, communication companies, fiber optics companies, enticed some big name companies back then to locate here BECAUSE of location along I-75, a major traveling route. But no, the Bill Donhams and others at the time, chose to not plan to offset the losses nor create a diverse economy for this town. Now, we are paying the price for the inactivity of the 70's and 80's.

Fertile environment for growth- a cooperative city government that is truely business friendly, not just saying it as we have now. One who has enough forward thinking to have created sites around town with matching utilities and ammenities to have attracted companies by now. Wasn't thought of back then and isn't being acted on now either. (with the exception of a few piddly announcements by Robinette about 10 or 20 jobs here and there) A little too late in the game as there is severe competition from all cities for jobs, but we have to start sometime. Need to start from ground zero and establish a headhunter mentality to seek decent jobs- not the weak attempts we have been seeing so far from the Econ. Dev. department.

General disposition of the people make a difference- sure.....but some of that dispostion is triggered by the people's reaction to how they are listened to by their leaders. That ain't happening in Middletown. What we want for our town and what we get are two totally different things. Years ago, the people and the city government worked better together and the people felt they were heard moreso than now. Now, we have a small entity controlling the town and totally ignoring the people's wants and wishes. People are frustrated that the city is not bringing in job opportunities. They are tired of working those lousy $7 to $10/hour jobs and want some hope and progress in their lives. It ain't happening for them now. Major frustration and dissatisfaction from people resulting in major negativity toward the town and it's leaders. When people start seeing that their city government is on their side and actually start providing them opportunities to succeed, there is more cooperation in the town. JMO