Why must we gentrify downtown before it's blossomed? (12. August 2005, 18:28 by Derek Young) ~

I’ve heard repeatedly from city leader types that downtown redevelopment needs more residential projects – particularly higher end ones. I don’t agree at all. Correction. Downtown needs residental projects. It just doesn’t need lots of higher end ones. One of the things I’ve thought we need are more affordable condos. I don’t mean cheap. This city just doesn’t need every condo to be a another ‘luxury development’. If we want to attract the urban professional hipster types prices need to be reasonable. Projects where the prices start above $300k and go over $1 million isn’t going to make downtown cool. In fact it’s going to end up resembling some of the quiet Belltown blocks with a fancy restaurant or two and nobody walking the streets at night. Is this the type of place that we want to live in? Maybe you do? Personally, I don’t.