Eye On Englewood

Link: http://englewoodcitizens.org/

Closed. Closed for the seasons... and "We Are Nothing"... These are the whispers of experts.

During the City Council study session of April 9, 2009, Alan White, Community Development Director for the City of Englewood presented a 20 minute video presentation from a group of experts from Urban Land Institute (ULI).

There is something to be said for being first, and I'm happy to acknowledge the virtue of creativity. Mayor Wolosyn would have agreed. The expert placemakers acknowledged Englewood's attempt at a transit oriented community as being the first in Colorado.

It's always easier to improve on a prototype, but creating the prototype is hard work. I'd shake Gary Sears' hand for this if he'd care.

Community Development Director White cautioned Council before pressing "play" that City staff do not necessarily agree with the experts' findings. Then the lights went out.

Follow up:

After the initial acknowledgment and introductory remarks, the ULI experts stated what's obvious to everyone yet, only experts know how to critique.

Englewood seems abject of color... happiness... family opportunities; and the City's identity continually refutes basic tenets of civil design...how to open the gates and invite people in. Instead, Englewood waives a huge tan flag, "Don't look too close... We stand for nothing."

They specifically cited the brick walls facing Englewood's busiest street, Hampden Boulevard,-- those sides of businesses like Office Depot, Cold Stone Creamery, and PetCo. Talk about turning a cold brick shoulder to the public!

Then, they pointed out the obvious marketing flaw of the alley type entrance to all of Englewood's hoopla. Inca Street should have been all this while calling to the public "Turn in here."

They questioned why there was no bridge to incorporate the busineses South of Hampden by walkway into the commercial heart of the civic center.

Speaking with Beverly Maes, local realtor, she smiled and said, "My expertise told me that Hampden needed a bridge at the start of the development, and I brought it up to Council in a proposal once, while Director Simpson was in charge, but they said they didn't have the funds."

The experts liked historic Englewood on Broadway. The historic area has intrinsic value, and a market all its own, but where are the lights and entryway signage?

Doug Cohn, Business owner and president of the downtown business district remarked that his associates have often wondered why the flags denoting historic downtown had been removed in the first place. He offered another idea. "Rows of lights across downtown similar to Larimer Street, would encourage night life."

Lost opportunities do take a toll on a City when multiplied by days and lost revenues.

Urban Land Institute nailed it when they identified Englewood's beleaguered transit community a field of lost opportunities in "placemaking." "When you look down the street from the Lite Rail, nothing tells you there is a big box like Walmart at the end and nothing draws you in from the intersections either."

They criticized the City's failure to provide for pedestrian crosswalks, enough parking, and even a sidewalk to the South East of the civic fountain. This could be a liability for the City if someone gets hurt.

They pointed out that the transit population should have been shuttled down through what retail shopping area rather than being shuffled off to the North and South parking areas via the ramps.

Another reason the retail isn't working well, they explained, is because there is only one lonely block of it. 7000 sq. ft. of retail is no calling card to customers or to business entrepreneurs.

Your community college should offer courses here, they advised, and you should make the sidewalks wider around the retail street so that people can easily congregate and restaurants can offer outdoor seating. People of religious and ethnic backgrounds should want to host their festivals at the City Center.

Truth is sometimes a painful story, but it can turn your head around. Somewhere along the way the logical side of the Transit Oriented Community got lost. Can it be reclaimed?

The Urban Land video was probably the best $4,000 bucks this City has spent lately.