Lack of Riverfront Development Just Due to Lack of Money?

[royce]

K-Slice, I agree. Lowell, there's access to the riverfront from three directions [[north, east, and west). I can get to the riverfront very quickly in any of those directions. It's the decisions made by the powers that be that have made the riverfront inaccessible. The first was to put heavy industry along the river, but that was over 100 years ago. As the riverfront has been cleared for the RiverWalk and parks, the decision-makers have to make better decisions on how to develop the riverfront. That's why I started the thread. I don't know what's the hold up.

One issue that I have about the riverfront and access to it deals with the distance from the river's edge to Atwater Street. There's still a great distance between the two. I think that there should be another road in between. I could envision a road that would parallel Atwater beginning at the edge of the sidewalk of the parking lot at the Rivard/Cullen Plaza that extends to the giant hill at Orleans Street. Some restaurants and residential could exists between this new street and Atwater.

In some early renderings of the riverfront by GM, there was a new road between Atwater and the river that travelled very close to the RiverWalk, curving into Rivard Street right at the foot of Rivard/Cullen Plaza. I think car traffic closer to the river's edge brings people closer to it and gives a sense of security. Imagine if the western edge of Belle Isle was cut off to car traffic. I think a lot of people would not want to access the area because they'd have to do more walking to get to the river's edge and not feel safe because the distance to the river's edge and the traffic flow and parking spots would be so far away.

In addition, some of the north-south roads should be extended south of Atwater so that you could drop someone off right at the RiverWalk. I mentioned in the thread about Gilbert buying Stroh River Place about opening up Adair Street all the way to the RiverWalk to increase foot traffic in that area. Then it would be nice if Harbortown added some residential along Adair and you'd have people walking up and down the street, creating foot traffic and a sense of safety in that area.

I think the lack of development along the riverfront gives the appearance that it's not accessible. However, if you have better access by way of streets that get you closer to the riverfront and more residential, shops, and restaurants on the riverfront, then you'll have a more vibrant riverfront. That's a given, right?