Let me start by clarifying a couple of things that I didn’t mention in the original post. I also live in Renaissance Park. We just moved onto Orange Street, where we are currently renting and working towards purchasing a house in the next couple of months. I’ve been wanting to move into this area for a couple of years now, and I’m glad that we have finally arrived. I actually enjoyed being able to walk from Orange Street to University and Main. Like you, I really enjoy One World–indeed, I have friends who live in the apartments over the restaurant–and I find being able to walk there to be highly appealing.

At the same time, there are serious problems in the area that can’t be overlooked. As I look at all the promotional materials, I see a raving over a reality that does not yet exist. Again, to be clear, it’s a reality that I want to exist. I’m not rooting for the failure of the Renaissance Park project. I’d like to see the Main Street corridor be a center of business and culture. I’d love to live in a place like that.

But it’s not there yet, and it feels vaguely dishonest to be promoting something on the basis of future desire, instead of current reality. It’s true that we can walk to the Asian market or One World from where we live. It’s also true that I would not feel comfortable with my wife or sister (who lives with us) walking there after dark. It’s true that there are many older houses in the area with a lot of character. It’s also true that many of them are being sold off as families flee the area.

There are many advantages to the Renaissance Park area, and I hope that our dreams for the area come true. However, I believe that more will be required than some government money and a slick brochure. Without a developing grassroots culture that will support the business and artisanship that we both wish to see in Renaissance Park, the entire project will be a failure.

So I guess that we all have some work to do, eh?