…always. That’s why, if you’re going to let them build a WalMart in your town, you’d better make damn sure it’s on the appropriate site.
Now, if WM wants to take over the Lee Hospital property and turn it into a multi-floor urban center department store; and if they’re going to rely on their shoppers to fill the city’s garages and parking meters, I’m all for a downtown location. I say, “Here’s a couple of tax breaks. Go nuts.” But the Beast from Bentonville has never impressed me as that sort of progressive 800 pound gorilla, so I’m just assuming they’re going to want to build a multi-acre big box with a parking lot covering twice as many additional acres again, in which case, I am vehemently opposed to any such construction anywhere between the base of Cover Hill and the confluence of the Stony and Little Connie Rivers.
WalMart’s a pretty savvy company and, if they think there’s money to be made, they’ll be willing to spend some money and put up with a few restrictions in order to tap into some profit down the road.
That means the time is NOW to organize and plan to ensure that any proposed project moves forward with the greatest possible benefit, and the least negative impact, to the city. The problem is Johnstown, for far too long, has been understandably eager, to scarf up whatever crumbs might get scattered along the valley floor, with little regard to what might lie down the road. It’s time to exercise a little discipline and restraint in order to determine and accomplish what’s best for the city in the long term.
After decades of atrophy, downtown Johnstown is in an enviable position. Beyond a handful of individual shops and the prominent regional financial centers, the central business district,
with it’s eclectic blend of architectural styles, is essentially a blank slate, waiting for an inspired hand to guide it into a cultural and commercial renaissance. Whatever developments occur over the next few years will cement downtown’s character for the next hundred years. Turning Main Street into a new Scalp Avenue is not in the best interest of the city or of the region. And that’s why I’m opposed to the construction of a typical WalMart box in the downtown area.
The ideal location for a Johnstown WalMart would be in the vicinity of the old Team Motors property on Horner Street:
- Immediate highway access via the Rt. 56 bypass, with minimal road and traffic control improvements funded by WalMart and the state,
- An abundance of alternate routes around any potential traffic congestion: Bedford, Franklin and Napolean Streets,
- The removal of blight and an economic and construction boost to a neighborhood desperate for the same.
- Proximity to center city will encourage increased downtown activity while restricting major congestion issues to the vicinity of the store
Build up and improve the adjacent neighborhoods, and the downtown will reap the rewards. Lower Horner Street is a win-win-win proposition.
Other potential sites having it all over the downtown include: part of the old US Steel property in Moxham, the Gautier-Clinton and
the Roosevelt Ave-Broad Street corridors, but keep in mind, the last two options come with limited alternative routes and traffic will be a bear. Think: the height of the Christmas shopping season in a mid-December snow squall. The Moxham site has no immediate highway access, but heavy trucks were pulling in and out of that plant for over a hundred years. I don’t know how much, if any, of the property is available for use, but it may be an option worth exploring. Central Avenue was built for commerce and it’s only in recent years that several blocks of commercial buildings have been transformed into parking lots and gas pumps.
Bottom line is, don’t let the leadership force the city into a position it may come to regret later. Contact the city and let them know what you think.
Don’t wait for them to leap at the first offer to come down the pike and dump it in your laps. Talk to your neighbors. Organize, but come up with rational questions and solutions. After all, a handful of sign-waving wahoos is, well, just a handful of sign-waving wahoos. If you want people to listen to you, you’ve got to demonstrate that you’ve got a genuine concern and that you’re willing to work and to compromise to reach a viable resolution. The important thing, once WalMart or some other interested concern starts tossing around dollar signs, is to not let the leadership reflexively accept the first deal offered and then try tell the community it’s the best they could do, and how great it’s going to be for everybody involved.
What’s that line from Josie Wales? Oh, yeah: “Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining, Senator.”
I totally agree with you. Walmart is not the kind of forward-thinking business to take a multi-story building and convert it into a new retail center.
Leaders and residents alike must be weary of any deal with Walmart that involves what I’d call the ‘worst case scenario’, which is knocking down blocks of historic buildings downtown for a retail giant.
I currently live in the DC metro area, and we have a lot of new commercial developments built to look like old areas…tacky description, I’m sorry. But the point is, we have several Targets (and other stores) down here that are multi-story buildings. They do a lot with a little space. I’d love to see that for my old hometown!
The old US Steel property would be the best choice. collegekid has it right. Those historic buildings should never be torn down but restored if necessary. Look what happened to the old Embassy Theatre building downtown. What they put in its place is a travesty. The loss of that beautiful old building is a real shame. The history and heritage of Johnstown is important and shouldn’t be sacrificed this way.
On second thought does Johnstown really need a Walmart? What about the “mom and pop” busineses that have given support to the area for decades? Walmart doesn’t care about those people. Is it worth pushing them out to save a few dollars on a grocery bill? Might as well tear down those historic buildings and get rid of all of those local busineses if it means a dollar more in revenue to those honest concerned politicians at city hall.