The Metro Center Mall is an open space encompassing approximately 112,000 square feet, and as its name implies, is at the heart of downtown Binghamton. Mayor David’s plan for this much needed renovation includes ten parking places, and I’m assuming, a connecting roadway intersecting Court Street. It is unclear what would remain for other features to attract people to that area because no artist’s rendering of the project has been offered to the public, as is standard procedure with municipal projects. Taxpayers and residents are entitled to see what is in the Mayor’s mind’s eye and to be assured even he has a clear concept of his proposal. Consideration need be given to vehicle traffic flow and dead end snow removal.
[ Editor's note: We have been notified by a reader that an architectural/engineering plan has been circulated within City Hall and to the appropriate review boards, and a copy of this plan is available at https://halfmillionbinghamton.wordpress.com/the-actual-design/ ]
I have never had difficulty parking downtown, and using our City’s most valuable blank canvas for such a mundane purpose lacks vision. There is no valid reason to rush into this project, and it only seems fair that the citizens of our recovering city be shown more creative, cosmopolitan, options that could provide dynamic and signature images for our Downtown.
In such a creative community, I suggest alternative proposals be developed and submitted to groups, who will evaluate them seriously, before providing them to our local news media for public engagement, and ensuring there is more than one choice available. Something needs to be done, and hopefully the melding of imaginative ideas and transparency will draw funding.
–Joseph Kirchner