http://toledo.oh.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=fDZ0ByDFIwc%3D&tabid=88
i'm still reading through this, but there is some really interesting stuff in this!
sorry if it's been posted before!
2011 Downtown Toledo Plan
Comments ... #
February 2004 Toledo Talk post titled Delay with Downtown Master Plan :
"This was a plan adopted in 2002 for development of Toledo's central business district. But as you might have guessed, nothing has happened."
Excerpts from the February 2004 Toledo Blade story about the delay with implementing the 2002 Downtown Toledo Master Plan:
During the warm months, outdoor cafes and benches for pedestrians would dot sidewalks along Madison Avenue and Lafayette and Huron streets. An amphitheater in Promenade Park would feature musical and dramatic performances; condominiums would overlook the Maumee River; people would browse in bookstores. A severe recession and a new emphasis on homeland security has drained much of the city’s capital improvement money.
Toledo was in a severe recession eight years ago, eh? I think Toledo has been in severe recession since the great Toledo War of 1835-1836. We have never recovered from that brutal event.
posted by jr on Nov 29, 2011 at 12:00:51 am # 6 people liked this
I laugh each time I hear or read about a downtown Toledo amphitheater.
The bookstores are an even greater idea now in 2011 and beyond than they were during the 2002 "Master Plan." LOL
posted by 6th_Floor on Nov 29, 2011 at 09:38:32 am # 1 person liked this
We talked a lot about them over at city-data, but I don't think I've seen much chatter about them over here. I think there are some fantastic ideas in them, and I hope the city finds some way to make these things happen. The only real issue with the plans is that there's no real method for how they're going to be achieved. It's more of a "wouldn't downtown be cool if..." than a "this is what will happen."
That being said, it's nice to see how well rounded the plan is. The green spaces, the in-fill, consolidation of parking areas, elimination of the bus loop, street re-routes, all that stuff. Clearly, someone has done their reading on walkable urbanity, because it's all addressed.
"... someone has done their reading on walkable urbanity, because it's all addressed"
I think the best possibility for a walkable area in Toledo is a place fittingly called Main Street.
posted by jr on Nov 29, 2011 at 10:28:08 am # 1 person liked this
Went back home (Cincinnati) for a week and was downtown everyday. The changes were one thing to behold since I was last there. But another thing that actually was a bit of a culture shock was the amount of diversity in terms of local and a sprinkling of national eateries there. Brazilian, Japanese, Indian, Latin American, Skyline naturally, etc. There just seemed to be a buzz during the work hours there. I've talked ad nauseum with people about how Toledo truly needs a diversity in eateries, even if that means gasp for some nationally-known places.
jr - since moving to Toledo, I have always wondered how it came to be that there is a "Main Street" that is anything but.
Agree that structurally it has the set up to be a walkable area.
Was it ever that way? Did it just deteriorate over the years, or has it always been a "not-so-Main-Street"?
I've talked ad nauseum with people about how Toledo truly needs a diversity in eateries.
Are you entirely sure about that? I kind of think we have a pretty diverse selection of restaurants for a city this size.
If you look on a basic site like TripAdvisor, you see a pretty broad swath of food variation in their top 20 rated Toledo restaurants. Not saying I'm agreeing with these "rankings", but just for a snapshot of what's out there, this serves the purpose:
1. Koreana (Korean)
2. San Marco (Mexican)
3. Rockwell's (American)
4. Mancy's Italian (Italian)
5. Maumee Bay Brewing Company (American)
6. Tony Packo's (American)
7. Ferdo's Mediterranean (Mediterranean)
8. Mancy's Steakhouse (American)
9. Beirut (Lebanese)
10. Inky's (Pizza/Italian)
11. Fifi's (French)
12. Sakura Japanese Steakhouse (Japanese)
13. Jing Chuan (Chinese)
14. The Cafe (American)
15. Tandoor (Indian)
16. Capers (Pizza)
17. Byblos (Greek)
18. Shorty's Bar-B-Que (American/Soul)
19. Glass City Cafe (American)
20. Real Seafood Company (Seafood)
We also have some good hole-in-the-wall Thai and other Chinese places too. And new TT favorite Burger Bar 419 is damn good too. Do we have a ton of Mongolian, Nepalese (YUM!), Ethiopian, or other "exotic" places like a bigger city? No, but we just don't have the critical mass of population to make 'em work here, IMO.
I know this town can seem like an endless animation background loop of burger joint, fast food place, Frisch's Big Boy, Starbucks, dive diner, burger joint (repeat)....but there is diversity here, really.
Is it downtown yet (like Cincinnati)? Not yet.
posted by oldhometown on Nov 29, 2011 at 04:38:00 pm # 1 person liked this
Oh, no doubt, I am aware of the diversity in the area. But as it relates to the thread title, I was referring to diversity in places in downtown Toledo.
agreed, downtown needs more variety. it would be great to get some sushi, chinese, etc
but we do have italian, lebanese, mexican etc
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