PredictablyRetarded t1_jamha6h wrote
I have lived downtown now for at least a solid 9-10 years of my life now.
The parking garages we have now, are very rarely ever full. The only times they do get full is the few times there are parades/events.
Justifying the cost of another garage downtown just for those handful of events isn’t something I can do.
Let’s talk about what there ISN’T downtown.
For one, the closest gas station is either the meth infested gas station on Chestnut, or the semi-meth infested Kum N Go by MSU. The closest we have to a convenience store is Park Central Market by Sky 11.
There are no grocery stores downtown. The closest one is Price Cutter, which is old, dirty and quiet frankly sucks. And then we have the meth Walmart further South.
Third, if this city can’t figure out what to do about the homeless and drug problems in Springfield, you’re going to start losing your more adult population and this city becomes nothing but a student town. Especially downtown.
People are sick of the crime. Business owners have had it with the homeless drug addicts that constantly tear up their bathrooms and establishments, steal, cause problems, etc.
The city is in real threat of de-evolving from the perspective of retaining a more complex work force and business environment because it can’t control crime.
Instead, apparently we do have millions for ballparks and building un-needed garages downtown.
But homeless, drug problems and crime?…. Nah. That can wait.
I wish that our city leaders were forced to live downtown for at least a year before they’re allowed to take office so they can’t just see things from the perspective of their relatively safe South side neighborhoods they tend to live in.
Fun-Entrepreneur-804 t1_jamkwd2 wrote
I agree with you bro but what are you gonna do about it? Springfield has been a meth capital for 20 years now. Big businesses don’t wanna move here the market isn’t there. The best market is fast food places that come and go. why do you think we have 3 new car washes on kearney? it’s obviously a front. Point is the homeless and drug problem is so deeply rooted in the culture here it’s easier said than done to fix it
ar9750 t1_jan3o3a wrote
> Springfield has been a meth capital for 20 years now
For those that don't know, making meth from cold medicine was basically invented here.
PredictablyRetarded t1_jamu35y wrote
I don’t disagree with you.
The problem isn’t that there are no solutions. The problem is that the city has to put its money where it’s mouth is.
How many millions are we as tax payers paying for the the baseball field? You want to know the real reason why? It’s because the Hammon’s estate is insolvent…
New garage? How much tax payer money is that going to cost?
Want my solution?
If I had any actual say so in local government affairs, I’d play dirty with the big cities that bussed their homeless down here. It’s a FACT that that’s happened. I would find the last permanent residency for those that are picked up, and if you’re an out of tow we, back to your last point of residence you go. Bus ride and good bye.
I would immediately double the police force, instead of building a garage or paying millions for a baseball field, I would build an intensive work camp/rehab center.
I would immediately make ANY drug based felony punishable by having to do a stint at the work camp, where you’re also going to be forced to clean yourself up.
You have to stop playing nice with this mess. I recognize that this is going to be unpopular for some people, but for God sakes, our entire city is RIDDLED with crime and drugs.
It’s sad that so many people are like “awwww feel sorry for them”… I do! But THEY made the choice to be on drugs, THEY made the choice to choose crime. Nobody forced it on them.
To force every day normal people to have to deal with this doesn’t get any sympathy, but the people on drugs that are committing felonies do?
What the eff has happened to this country? For real though?
Get tough on it City of Springfield! We are TIRED of living like this.
This city cannot and will not advance until it gets extremely serious about this problem. It’s threatening the city’s future. Our leaders are inept at dealing with it decisively.
Zebulander t1_jamo3s5 wrote
We’re a red state so this is just natural progression really. Nothing gets done with the crime and drugs till it can’t be ignored and then we build either a big attraction to force out the homeless or just build gated communities. The problem is all the corruption and corporate tax cuts that Springfield hands out.
Dbol504 t1_jao76am wrote
This may predate you by just a couple of years downtown, but there used to be a nice grocery store in where Seattle Roast is now. It was all wrong trying to be some upscale / organic store since Price Cutter figured that's what downtown residents wanted ala Consentino's in KC downtown. I only shopped there sparingly because prices were so out of whack with a regular grocery store. Ultimately lack of business and you guessed it homeless made it unfeasible to keep it open.
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