This will be the first of the very few down here. The whole damn town is sick to death of this area getting all the attention, all the "grants" all the collective effort of the current administration. The mayor's days are numbered right along with these businesses. He has taken direction and followed the lead and suggestions one time too many from a person or two of the failed previous administration, and people are talking. They have finally put the pieces together and figured out that an ex-cop does not pave a solid pathway to good mayorship.

His inexperience and lack of knowledge and learning day by day once elected made him very vulnerable and reliant on old baggage with old ideas that just kind of came with the territory and he obviously soaked up every drop of advice and direction whispered into his ear and look at the end result today.

The entire damn city from the old IHOP area all the way down Nameoki Road to the Mill properties and draw an imaginary box back over to the highschool, it's one slight notch above East St. Louis. It has been neglected before this mayor was elected and has remained that way ever since.
All of the Neon Park grant money could have been spent ANY WHERE on the route 66 route from my understanding, the devil was in the details and the proposals for this project, ANY project pertaining to the route 66 mother road would have been eligible for consideration along the route 66 route.

Just like years ago when the cinema was just an idea, that could have been built anywhere. It could have been located in the newer part of town in or around the Nameoki Commons area, instead it was located downtown as they were still kicking the dead corpse of the downtown being revived into the latest entertainment attraction in the metro east area.

Add it up, take a good long look around and figure out the money that has been spent and continues to be spent in this ONE PARTICULAR AREA. The city continues to swoop in buying up property after property in that area. Justifying thousands and thousands of dollars spent to do so, all so they can keep total control of what businesses are allowed into the city. Every business in this area is operating on borrowed time.

How can a business with very limited hours afford the lease on a city owned property and pay all utilities bills and expenses when on a good weekend they maybe walk 5 customers through the doors and there are many days that not one single actual money spending customer walks through the doors? That is impossible. On non profitable months are they still required to pay their rent or does the city let it slide until a profitable month actually happens? If Jerry's cafeteria can't keep its doors open operating a full day of business hours 6 days a week, how are these others doing it only being open such limited hours it makes dining there impossible if you work a day job?

This city will NEVER turn around its reputation and the negative stigma that even its own residents perpetuate until whoever wins this upcoming election stops swinging at the fences putting all the eggs into the same downtown basket. It's time to move on and get some attention and focus back uptown and clean it the hell up. The city will never get shoppers, visitors and investors to venture into the city limits without some kind of major initiative to update and concentrate on the very first areas to meet the eye when entering the city. If you think it's sad that Jerry's is locking its doors tomorrow, just imagine how you will all feel when the fast food chains follow suit and do the same. Then the grocery stores etc., we will be a town of gas stations and mini marts with slots. If you own a property in the city of Granite City, you had better do your research before going to cast your vote. Almost every council member needs replaced, does the mayor need replaced? I guess that depends on how you feel about the advice he has been following and if you're satisfied with the sale of the WTP, his choice for garbage removal and where he obviously concentrates his efforts and attention being the downtown area and the new Mill venue and a few short blocks around Niedringhaus Avenue.