Jesse from the Blues Bashers kicks it in front of The Touch of Europe
The Gargoyle Leader did a story about the lagging business downtown, but fails to talk about the real problems with Downtown;
The tough national economy has slowed or halted progress on a number of downtown developments, but the news isn’t all bad from an area of town considered by Sioux Falls leaders as one of the city’s top attractions.
While the economy is probably a big part of the problem, there is also other factors;
• The Washington Pavilion is doing fewer events then they first did when they first opened
• There is no dance halls or major live music venues downtown
• Downtown does not appeal to a broader audience, just people who live there and those who can afford fine dining
• Parking meters and lack of convenient parking
• Lack of leadership and marketing from the organization Downtown SF who charges DT businesses a boat load to market them
• Moving events to Phillips to the Falls instead of keeping them on the street in the main DT area
• Lack of weekly DT festivals during the summer
I have often said the City and DTSF have used too much caution when promoting DT. I say ‘Try anything’ and if it fails or causes problems, try something different. Leaders in our community often talk about SF as being progressive, give me a break. Progressives try new things and don’t put stipulations on those ideas. I’m 37 years old, and I have told people that DT SF was a lot more fun and hopping when I was 21 then it is now (in terms of entertainment). Time to turn back the clock.