A thriving downtown necessary to attract GenXers (Michigan cities)

Saginaw News ^ | 3-23-03 | MARY McDONOUGH

[Dan from Michigan]

A thriving downtown necessary to attract GenXers

Sunday, March 23, 2003

MARY McDONOUGH
FOR THE SAGINAW NEWS

How to breathe new life into aging downtown Saginaw is a question many leaders are trying to answer, but there is no easy solution.

Still, communities can't attract young Generation Xers to live and work there without a thriving downtown, said Bill Rustem, senior vice president of Public Sector Consultants Inc., a Lansing-based think tank.

"In Michigan, we're always looking for the silver bullet, the casinos or the big public development projects," he said, "but we just have not concentrated enough on the downtown areas."

Public Sector Consultants conducted a study that indicated communities throughout Michigan, with the exception of Ann Arbor, lag behind areas in other states in luring high-tech companies and the young workers they employ.

While enjoying a beverage at the Red Eye Caffe, 205 N. Hamilton in Saginaw, 20-year-old Steve Cronkright confirmed what the survey showed.

Will he remain in Saginaw County?

"No way," he answered.

"I want to go to Oregon. It's a lot nicer-looking than Michigan. It's just beautiful there. Saginaw is not a bad place, but it has its problems. That's for sure."

Rustem said Gov. Jennifer Granholm's creation of a land-use council demonstrates that the state finally recognizes the need to assist cities in developing desirable downtowns.

Veronica Horn, vice president of the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce, said improving the image and perception of the city overall is key in persuading young people to move in.

She said the chamber, Saginaw Community Foundation, Saginaw Future Inc. and other organizations are joining to promote Old Saginaw City, rid the community of blight and revamp the riverfront.

"We've got a number of initiatives we're working on, including the riverfront development project," Horn said. "We're hoping to dredge the river and make it available for recreation someday. We're hoping that in five years, you won't recognize the riverfront."

[Lost Highway]

I think attractions to the inner city are not the answer. Anyone remember Autoworld?

A thriving city, in my opinion, is a combination of three things.
1. Low crime rates.
2. Low housing prices.
3. Plenty of high paying jobs.

[Major Matt Mason]

Exactly - I wish i could feel good about moving back to WNY (home).

What part of WNY do you live in, if you don't mind my asking?

[razorback-bert]

When I lived in Houston, I went downtown only for HGO nights, into the garage and into the opera house. After the opera, into the garage and out to House of Pies.

Politics is the reason the new opera house was built downtown, instead of the Galleria area, where the patrons live.

I don't need downtowns, where their expensive parking,stores and food.

[Britton J Wingfield]

I think the term 'gen-x' is going to be applied to college age kids by dumb reporters for the next 20 years, regardless of its actual meaning.

[weegee]

Houston's downtown has only gotten worse as MayorBob and his hand picked replacement Leepy Brown have seen to it that BILLIONS of tax dollars have been poured into revitalizing downtown (with a redevelopment zone established so tax dollars collected in that district are funneled back to improvements in that area alone).

Thus the baseball stadium, basketball area, new performance theater, etc. have all been relocated to downtown.

The roads around town (and downtown especially) are severely broken down (they are addind a worthless trolly line down mainstreet that was part of the Olympic bid package).

[weegee]

Might as well just call them "hipsters", "college grads", "the target market" or "yuppies".

It is as bad as it would be calling them Baby Boomers or the Generation that survived the Great Depression and WWII.

[msru]

I read a recent article here on FR in which the Gen-X generation spans from births between 1960 (or early '60s) and 1980. Gen Y starts at 1980. So the youngest Gen X-ers would be around 23 or so right now, and the oldest just starting to turn 40. I'm in the middle at 30.

However, my numbers could be wrong since there are probably varying methods to measure the ages of "Gen X". :)

[Pan_Yans Wife]

That has been a running joke on the national news casts, have heard it more than once people saying, "shock and awe" is NOT Saginaw, Michigan! It is humorous, but I wonder how many people outside of Michigan, are aware that Saginaw, Michigan, exists?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I wonder how many people outside of Michigan, are aware that Saginaw, Michigan, exists?

About the same number who know about Ypsilanti and Owasso.

[Chemist_Geek]

A thriving city, in my opinion, is a combination of three things.

1. Low crime rates.
2. Low housing prices.
3. Plenty of high paying jobs.

And there you have it. After I finished both undergrad and grad schools, I was looking very hard to move to Traverse City or Petoskey or Alpena. Without the jobs, without work, people will not stay or move into the community. Everything else comes from that strong work base.