Downtown will end up Stranded

DANETTE GOULET

My elation at the news that the City Council approved a plan to shut

Main Street to traffic on a trial basis soon gave way to disgust when

I realized that it will not be happening this summer and that the

very merchants locals like myself would like to visit in comfort were

the ones blocking it.

Downtown business owners say they would back a plan to close Main

street if it was done right. They also say Surf City isn’t ready. But

this is not a new plan. It has been suggested for more than a decade.

If they really back the idea, done right, they should work toward

that goal instead of just fighting it every time it comes up. They

need to face a few facts, such as: People cruising in cars don’t buy

things, and they don’t even window shop. It’s the pedestrians who are

choking on fumes that buy things. I go Downtown all the time --

always on foot. Merchants’ attitude about this makes me want to

rethink that. If you value those cars so much you’ll lose your

customers.

I’m glad the council finally decided to try this, but I fear it

will be put off indefinitely, or that they’ll wait until the winter

of 2009 or something to essentially guarantee a failure.

Yes, they should make it nice and aesthetically pleasing. It won’t

be top-notch during a trial run, obviously. But, really, the city

should forget a trial basis and just step up and make the move.

The Strand will be built in another year or so, and you know what

it’ll have? You guessed it, a pedestrian walkway. Why? Because

research has shown that people like that -- that it works! If the

city waits too long, the Strand’s pedestrian walkway will be the

popular Paris, Belagio, MGM Grand, New York New York part of the

strip of Downtown and Main Street will become the forgotten Four

Queens and Golden Nugget on Fremont Street. It will be a rundown

thing of the past that will need a gimmick to attract shoppers.

Merchants need to get on board with fixing up the Downtown.

And yes it will take money, but think of the return on that

investment. If city officials want Surf City to be a tourist

destination they need to create a comfortable place to go.

Huntington Beach just spent $18-million on a sports complex. That

money would have been better spent making Downtown a quality

pedestrian walkway.

I’m not against sports and think youth sports should absolutely be

promoted but that complex should not have cost $18 million. If we

have $18 million for that how about a couple for Downtown.

* DANETTE GOULET is the city editor. She can be reached at (714)

965-7170 or by e-mail at danette.goulet@latimes.com.