313WX makes a VERY good point. I don't live in the area anymore, but I get the feeling that Downtown is like a shopping center without an anchor tenant, that s to saw a collection of shops without any glue to hold them together.

Without a Hudsons-type store to act as a catalyst for the event, I'm a bit afraid [[from a retailer's perspective) it would end up feeling a bit like a strip mall sidewalk sale. Thee events around it might be nice, but looking at it as a sales generator for retail, I just don't know.

Now, move a Target-type store into the core and it's a whole new ballgame.