Push to boost Stephen Avenue Walk was wise

A rethink and rebuild could revitalize the whole area, says George Brookman.

My late father used to describe Calgary’s weather as “seven months of winter followed by five months of tough sledding.” Be that as it may, the fact is that Calgarians love their walking streets and on any sunny day you can visit 17th Avenue; Kensington Avenue in Hillhurst; or 9th Avenue in Inglewood and find people strolling, dining, shopping and enjoying the city.

When the expansion of the BMO Centre is completed and the new Events Centre is finished, all these streets will see a significant increase in pedestrian traffic. Of course, the grand dame of our walking streets is the Stephen Avenue Walk, and on these pages and in many conversations with civic officials, I have decried the terrible state that it has fallen into. The flower pots may be nice, but the broken bricks, vagrancy, unattractive furniture, uncertain parking rules and general state only adds to the already depressed state of our downtown. Retail shops that should be commanding rents as high as any shopping mall actually sit empty and too many that actually are open are obviously there on a temporary basis.

So many cities, especially in the United States, have learned at their peril, what can happen when their centres are allowed to deteriorate. Aside from the loss of business and tax revenues, empty stores with plywood fronts, the vagrancy and associated crime, the downtowns of too many older cities reached a point where they came to actually represent the brand and the reputation of the entire community.

In the late ’80s and ’90s, cities like Detroit, Chicago, Denver and Buffalo all allowed their cores to fall into disrepair. While it is important to build new suburban districts, these cities have learned that when your downtown deteriorates, it impacts far more aspects of the city than just the areas affected. Our first goal as a community should always be to maintain those civic assets that we already own.

On a recent trip to Denver, I was overwhelmed by the way their downtown core has become a magnet for people. Live music, street vendors, restaurants, terrific transportation, excellent seating and an atmosphere of excitement make it far different than the city I visited 25 years ago. A true effort by the City of Denver to bring back their downtown and to make it a place for everyone has proved that it can be done, even in a city that has a winter climate.

With that in mind, I commend the Downtown Business Association and new executive director, Marco De Iaco, for pressing hard to get city council to invest in a complete rethink and rebuild of Stephen Avenue Walk. Once this work is completed you can envision the day when Stephen Avenue will become a gathering place, not only for tourists and business visitors, but also for Calgarians themselves. A vibrant and dynamic downtown core brings nightlife, boosts tax revenue and reduces crime. My hat is off to the folks who have initiated this much-needed work and the sooner it is completed, the better.

While on the subject of the downtown, I have to mention the Lime Scooters. My objection to bike lanes was never the lanes themselves, but rather the way they were designed, especially on 12th Avenue, in such a way as to disrupt vehicle traffic and make using your own car more difficult.

That ongoing issue aside, the scooters are great. When I see people riding downtown in suits, dresses and even in high heels, these scooters are really adding to the life of our city. Someone posted that they had seen one at the airport, and for me that would be a bit of a stretch; but I am looking forward to tentatively stepping onto one of these little units and scooting around south Calgary in a whole new way. I’m not sure if they have a horn or not, so if you see me coming, better step aside!

It is a changing world; we may not like all of the changes, but we do need to try and embrace them.

I have decried the terrible state that it has fallen into.