It’s very “cool” to sit in coffee shops and discuss how we’d like to change the world.
It’s very typical…very university…and generally very useless.
Urban redevelopment isn’t something that occurs through discussion or debate. Hamilton’s city centre isn’t magically going to respond to our good wishes and regenerate itself. And guess what? We don’t need anymore well-intentioned coffee shops!
This is a post for everyone who talks but doesn’t DO.
I’m fed up with the idea that good intentions are enough. They’re not. In fact, they’re destructive. It’s easy to discuss downtown renewal while sitting in an Ancaster Starbucks, or in a church built in suburbia. Unless those discussions bring about influence at City Hall, or somehow result in solid investment downtown–they perpetuate the idea that sympathy is sufficient.
Our downtown doesn’t need your sympathy–it needs your investment.
Investment is putting your money where your mouth is. If a church says they care about the city core, I challenge the church to purchase an investment property! Don’t buy yet another property to convert into a mission-oriented coffee shop. It’s not the cool thing to do. It’s just another low-income drain on the area. There are already plenty of cafes run by individuals who rely on the business for their livelihood–they don’t need competition from another youth-group charity project. No, if you buy a property downtown, redevelop it into high-end loft apartments and high-density residential space. Encourage professionals from your own congregation to rent the units! This brings more people downtown, and infuses new cash, energy, and excitement into the area.
Wealthy individuals and non-profit organizations have the unique ability to own properties without needing a profit from the investment. They have the capacity to invest without needing an immediate return. This is the kind of investment our city core needs: the kind that actually might sacrifice for the good of the community.
If you are a corporate leader–consider moving your operations to the city centre! Destination stores like the Apple Store, Crate and Barrel, Chapters, or similar could bring a tremendous amount of foot traffic to the city centre without infringing on existing markets in the area. Let’s face it–there’s very little downtown that can’t be found elsewhere. If people have a reason to go downtown, they will go.
Stop talking and do something. Buy a property. Shop downtown. Invest in your city.
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