The Granite City mayor hit the ground running and hasn't slowed down since, tearing down old properties, cleaning up the area. He needs to keep moving forward and stop being weighed down by the old baggage of previous administrations. He needs to utilize the expertise of Ms. Hamilton and stop taking advice from the same old baggage that helped to put the city in the shape it was in when he won the election. Bad advice and loose lips can sink ships. The town has evolved and changed and its people and visitors, the main traffic flow and attractions are now sitting on Nameoki road. The constant attention and concentration and focus always being directed toward the old downtown area are mainly for the benefit of a few businesses and business owners. The city is much bigger than a once thriving old downtown!
The people of the city are beginning to grow very tired of the focus and attention always being centered around or in front of one small city block and same set of businesses. The traffic flows into the city from Nameoki road from Mitchell or 270, and from the opposite direction off of Edwardsville Road, and these parts of the city have been neglected or at least overlooked and taken a back seat to the "District" far too long. I had out of town company that came to stay for the Christmas holiday, and they could not get over that while driving around the area there was not a single trace of Christmas or the holiday season. They laughed and referred to Granite City as Grinch City, so we took them for a drive to the old downtown area and they asked the same questions that 75% of the entire town is asking, why are the little bit of decorations concentrated to a small part of the city off the beaten path. I understand that this may have been the way the city has done things for the last 40 years or more, but times do change, and we have to change with them! Our parents may miss the good ole days, but it's time for a new generation to make new memories and with that comes change and new ideas. The newer part of city needs attention and some beautification efforts. It's time to concentrate on the busiest part of the city that does not roll up the sidewalks by 5PM and that stays open for business during the weekends past 4PM. Bring on the new planters and plants, bring on the planted flowers, bring on the street sweeper and freshly painted curbs. Bring on the holiday decorations and concentrate on the newer part of town for a change!
"A great many people do not have the right to their own opinion because they don't know what they are talking about." ~ Andy Rooney
Christmas lights and some ferns aren’t the biggest issues the city faces.
The presence of 35 year old drug zombies on stolen BMX bikes that carry their break-in tools via backpack are a bigger deterrent to commerce than a freshly-painted curb.
All of the above you mentioned are problems for every city. The commerce is not taking place within the inner-city neighborhoods, nor do investors tour these same neighborhoods where you will find most of these drug zombies casing yards and alley ways. But investors, both in private property and commerce, sure do visit the town and tour the main thoroughfare. They do traffic studies, of how many, with counts of even which direction and times the traffic flows. It is at the best interest of the city to make the investments needed to update and clean up the city's curb appeal. The city can't expect investors to be interested in setting up shop or homes here if they allow the busiest part of the city to sit stagnant while they keep putting lipstick on the downtown area only. The city will never get any serious investors in this area as long as it's allowed to reflect the message, we have no pride and more than that, we have no money to spend. It takes money to make money, and everyone knows that. If you look like a town that falls under the poverty line you will attract businesses like payday loans, family dollar, dollar tree, pawnshops, and furniture stores like the Cavalier that moved into the Kmart building, over stock buy outs instead of an actual furniture store like value city or weekends furniture. The city needs attention along Nameoki Road and what happened to the entrance of the city near the old IHOP property getting some kind of facelift as promised? Say what you want about all the problems the city faces, but until these particular issues are addressed, this city will never be anything better than what it is today. We will sit on the sidelines and watch the growth up the hill and be envious and anxious at the same time we take our money up that hill to spend. "A great many people do not have the right to their own opinion because they don't know what they are talking about." ~ Andy Rooney