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What About Me?
It’s about another issue beneath the surface that’s beginning to show itself. Team Haverhill’s positive energy for the future, and the mayor’s efforts to populate downtown now with upscale condominiums, are joined at the hip by the impact they have on current downtown businesses and residents. We’ve begun to hear from them the rightful cry, What about me? We heard it first from the owner of a prominent retail store on Merrimack Street end who feels that all energy directed to the future allows city leaders to forget his, and other storeowner’s, immediate needs. We heard it from a prominent member of the Washington Street end who is concern-ed that a massive parking garage on the river will destroy rather than enhance the ambi-ence behind his business and other busi-nesses who have improved their rear sides to entice customers to enjoy the river view. And, we heard it from a former city councilor who rightfully raises two questions, Is it right and just to lower parking requirements when current businesses have had to develop their business plans in conformity with the stiffer regulations? And, If curent businesses need more parking now, won’t they be choked by the influx of new cars that come with all this new housing? The underlying question is, What about me? What about the people who have labored long and hard to keep the downtown alive in tough times? Are they now simply caught in the wake of long-term planning or the rush to fill vacant factories with condominiums? It’s time we heard what they need and think. Team Haverhill plans a special showing of its renderings for downtown businesses. The mayor should issue a joint invitation to them and co-chair the meeting. Both the mayor and Team Haverhill are now riding on the wave of successes of current downtown businesspeople. These people need to know that for all the publicity both the mayor and the Team are receiving there is at least an equal measure of concern for the prospering of current downtown investments. Jim
Rurak is a professor at Boston College and is the former
Mayor of Haverhill. Email your comments or questions to
Jim Rurak at JARandKAS@comcast.net *Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com |
Last month, I wrote about the
collision beneath the surface between the mayor and the
backers of Team Haverhill. It’s a control issue that
should be resolved so that excellent plans, like the
multi-modal transportation garage, will get a financial
boost from federal monies to improve the MVRTA facility.
I repeat that plea here. But the title, What about me? is
not about me personally.