Medford's Downtown Ghost Town
#1
"

A popular Downtown Medford eatery is forced to close shop...some Downtown business owners say it's tough to keep businesses going and this is the latest example.

Often when you take a step inside Medford’s Woolworth building you see a line of people, waiting for soup at Spoons.

Today, the entrance is empty- a sign reads "Do not enter, unsafe building. It is a misdemeanor to enter."

"Now that they've got that thing posted down there, it's got to be beating off business," says Gary McColgan who another business owner in the Woolworth building above the eatery.

"They're trying to revitalize Medford, and they're not helping any of the people who are really taking strides to make this place successful," he continues.

The City Building Safety Director says the ventilation system needs a hood instead of a fan. Catch 22, Spoons can't cut into the outside walls because the Woolworth is an historic building. The other option is to put in a hood that vents through all four floors.

"It is frustrating, it's making it hard on small businesses," says Fat Kat Tattoo owner Jeff Rahenkamp.
He says Spoons isn’t the first business to face a roll call of regulations in Medford.

"If I didn't own my building I would have moved out of downtown years ago."

After parking changes and continued demands some simply close their doors, creating what resident's call a Downtown Ghost Town.

"I walked through Downtown Medford the other night and I thought, this is a dead zone," says resident Tom Wood.

Businesses say it’s a struggle...
"At some point you run out of patience for dealing with this stuff," says McColgan. ... facing so much against them in a still fragile economy.

Both parties are hoping to get this handled...the City Building Safety Director says he's sympathetic and believes it can be resolved.

According to the city, the owner of Spoons could cook offsite and transport the soup back to the business." <WTH?

http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/ite...-town.html
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#2
(11-12-2012, 08:59 PM)Clone Wrote: "

A popular Downtown Medford eatery is forced to close shop...some Downtown business owners say it's tough to keep businesses going and this is the latest example.

Often when you take a step inside Medford’s Woolworth building you see a line of people, waiting for soup at Spoons.

Today, the entrance is empty- a sign reads "Do not enter, unsafe building. It is a misdemeanor to enter."

"Now that they've got that thing posted down there, it's got to be beating off business," says Gary McColgan who another business owner in the Woolworth building above the eatery.

"They're trying to revitalize Medford, and they're not helping any of the people who are really taking strides to make this place successful," he continues.

The City Building Safety Director says the ventilation system needs a hood instead of a fan. Catch 22, Spoons can't cut into the outside walls because the Woolworth is an historic building. The other option is to put in a hood that vents through all four floors.

"It is frustrating, it's making it hard on small businesses," says Fat Kat Tattoo owner Jeff Rahenkamp.
He says Spoons isn’t the first business to face a roll call of regulations in Medford.

"If I didn't own my building I would have moved out of downtown years ago."

After parking changes and continued demands some simply close their doors, creating what resident's call a Downtown Ghost Town.

"I walked through Downtown Medford the other night and I thought, this is a dead zone," says resident Tom Wood.

Businesses say it’s a struggle...
"At some point you run out of patience for dealing with this stuff," says McColgan. ... facing so much against them in a still fragile economy.

Both parties are hoping to get this handled...the City Building Safety Director says he's sympathetic and believes it can be resolved.

According to the city, the owner of Spoons could cook offsite and transport the soup back to the business." <WTH?

http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/ite...-town.html

Well yeah, but it's not downtown Detroit.
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#3
It doesn't have to be Detroit. It's downtown. It's our downtown, and it sucks. It's not all Medford City's fault. A lot of it has to do with Medfordites themselves, who don't seem to really want anything too 'cool' or 'different' in their square old downtown. Anything unusual or lapping at the edges doesn't do well in downtown. The City is clueless for how to promote the area and keep botching it up with their MURA requirements. And also, I hate to say it. That school. RCC. What the Hell!?? Who puts a College Campus in the middle of a town. The campus is the city streets! It's a war of parking over there. I have NO idea why the city thought it would be good to partner with RCC and locate the college in the middle of down town. It doesn't work for anyone. Not the students, not the store owners, not the citiziens who might want to wander down and use the library. It's a disaster. It would have been much wiser to select an undeveloped area of the city, perhaps over by foothills or North Phoenix Road and make an actual campus out there that could be reached by public transportaion. In downtown, there's a beautiful new library and theatre and lovely underutilized creek that's not being centered as a part of the town. They are nuts down there. The MURA people have a vision, but that vision doesn't have anything in touch with the demographic they are dealing with. Fricking MURA. I love the downtown renovation, but that's about it. They are without a friggin doubt as clueless as they come. Downtown can't come to life because it doesn't know what it is. They tried to use upscale shops to draw in the element that MURA wanted, but it doesn't reflect the demographic. Nothing survives down there, with the requirements, the school, the parking, the lack of focus, the lack of attraction. They need to look at why what is failing IS failing and think again.
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#4
You want government regulation, you have government regulation. And you're complaining about it.
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#5
(11-12-2012, 11:13 PM)Tiamat Wrote: It doesn't have to be Detroit. It's downtown. It's our downtown, and it sucks. It's not all Medford City's fault. A lot of it has to do with Medfordites themselves, who don't seem to really want anything too 'cool' or 'different' in their square old downtown. Anything unusual or lapping at the edges doesn't do well in downtown. The City is clueless for how to promote the area and keep botching it up with their MURA requirements. And also, I hate to say it. That school. RCC. What the Hell!?? Who puts a College Campus in the middle of a town. The campus is the city streets! It's a war of parking over there. I have NO idea why the city thought it would be good to partner with RCC and locate the college in the middle of down town. It doesn't work for anyone. Not the students, not the store owners, not the citiziens who might want to wander down and use the library. It's a disaster. It would have been much wiser to select an undeveloped area of the city, perhaps over by foothills or North Phoenix Road and make an actual campus out there that could be reached by public transportaion. In downtown, there's a beautiful new library and theatre and lovely underutilized creek that's not being centered as a part of the town. They are nuts down there. The MURA people have a vision, but that vision doesn't have anything in touch with the demographic they are dealing with. Fricking MURA. I love the downtown renovation, but that's about it. They are without a friggin doubt as clueless as they come. Downtown can't come to life because it doesn't know what it is. They tried to use upscale shops to draw in the element that MURA wanted, but it doesn't reflect the demographic. Nothing survives down there, with the requirements, the school, the parking, the lack of focus, the lack of attraction. They need to look at why what is failing IS failing and think again.

I never realized that about the college. Maybe I should start reading the Medford paper? I mean, there really is a world outsite Grants Pass.

The whole urban renewal thing is a tough one. Do it right, touch a nerve and a great downtown is born.

Telling a soup seller they can prepare their soups at some other place and then carry them in is not touching a nerve, reading a pulse.

The area we lived in on Staten Island fought for and won a Historical Landmark status.

It was all well and good until people would paint a garage door and the Certified letter from the historical committee would be delivered, telling the homeowner they had chosen the wrong color and to paint over it.

God forbid a homeowner build an addition! It was not allowed.

However, in all fairness, it was a beautiful area to live in and walk around in.
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#6
One fatal blow for Medford was putting the freeway right through the middle of town, practically over Bear Creek. That pretty well f'ed up the city.
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#7
I think Grants Pass did a great job reinventing it's downtown. Not a lot you can do with car lots but the times are changing.
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#8
(11-12-2012, 11:45 PM)BeerMe Wrote: You want government regulation, you have government regulation. And you're complaining about it.

Who are you talking to when you say "You"?
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#9
I agree that the freeway decision was a poor one but it is what it is and figure we should work with what we got.
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#10
(11-13-2012, 12:16 AM)Clone Wrote:
(11-12-2012, 11:13 PM)Tiamat Wrote: It doesn't have to be Detroit. It's downtown. It's our downtown, and it sucks. It's not all Medford City's fault. A lot of it has to do with Medfordites themselves, who don't seem to really want anything too 'cool' or 'different' in their square old downtown. Anything unusual or lapping at the edges doesn't do well in downtown. The City is clueless for how to promote the area and keep botching it up with their MURA requirements. And also, I hate to say it. That school. RCC. What the Hell!?? Who puts a College Campus in the middle of a town. The campus is the city streets! It's a war of parking over there. I have NO idea why the city thought it would be good to partner with RCC and locate the college in the middle of down town. It doesn't work for anyone. Not the students, not the store owners, not the citiziens who might want to wander down and use the library. It's a disaster. It would have been much wiser to select an undeveloped area of the city, perhaps over by foothills or North Phoenix Road and make an actual campus out there that could be reached by public transportaion. In downtown, there's a beautiful new library and theatre and lovely underutilized creek that's not being centered as a part of the town. They are nuts down there. The MURA people have a vision, but that vision doesn't have anything in touch with the demographic they are dealing with. Fricking MURA. I love the downtown renovation, but that's about it. They are without a friggin doubt as clueless as they come. Downtown can't come to life because it doesn't know what it is. They tried to use upscale shops to draw in the element that MURA wanted, but it doesn't reflect the demographic. Nothing survives down there, with the requirements, the school, the parking, the lack of focus, the lack of attraction. They need to look at why what is failing IS failing and think again.

I never realized that about the college. Maybe I should start reading the Medford paper? I mean, there really is a world outsite Grants Pass.

The whole urban renewal thing is a tough one. Do it right, touch a nerve and a great downtown is born.

Telling a soup seller they can prepare their soups at some other place and then carry them in is not touching a nerve, reading a pulse.

The area we lived in on Staten Island fought for and won a Historical Landmark status.

It was all well and good until people would paint a garage door and the Certified letter from the historical committee would be delivered, telling the homeowner they had chosen the wrong color and to paint over it.

God forbid a homeowner build an addition! It was not allowed.

However, in all fairness, it was a beautiful area to live in and walk around in.

That's what it's like living in Jacksonville. I wouldn't want to see the entire city become historical, or even the downtown area. It's a double edged sword and we've got enough with MURA on our hands. And let's not forget Lithia, who spent millions to build their complex in the downtown area but didn't create enough base parking to accomodate their staff and clientele. So, those newly created demands will now compete for the already under available parking.
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#11
(11-13-2012, 05:06 AM)PonderThis Wrote: One fatal blow for Medford was putting the freeway right through the middle of town, practically over Bear Creek. That pretty well f'ed up the city.

I've heard that before. I don't get it it? It really doesn't go right through the middle of town. It goes OVER the center of town.
If the freeway went around the center of town east OR west that would also suck.
I don't think the freeway hurts anything any more than freeways hurt towns all over America.

As far as the college, without it the center of town would be even MORE dead.

IMO what killed our downtown is the same as all over America,, the freeway and our mall, strip malls and all of the big stores like Fred Meyers,Target,Walmart etc.
I can't even remember the last time I went downtown. There is nothing there I need or want.
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#12
It's hard to enjoy a babbling brook when freeway noise is blocking it out and giant concrete pillars are also in your viewshed. I personally think the freeway should have run on the eastern foothills.

I also hear the freeway could have avoided 2 mountains (and possibly some distance) if they'd bypassed Grants Pass. Smiling

I had dinner at Oh's last night, I didn't think it was as good as it used to be. But then, what is? Smiling
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#13
(11-13-2012, 12:11 PM)PonderThis Wrote: It's hard to enjoy a babbling brook when freeway noise is blocking it out and giant concrete pillars are also in your viewshed. I personally think the freeway should have run on the eastern foothills.

I also hear the freeway could have avoided 2 mountains (and possibly some distance) if they'd bypassed Grants Pass. Smiling

I had dinner at Oh's last night, I didn't think it was as good as it used to be. But then, what is? Smiling

When I drive around or when I have walked around town near or under the freeway I've never really noticed the freeway noise. IMO the noise and smell is horrible around any traffic.
I used to work at intersections for weeks putting up traffic signals and after a while you REALLY notice the constant din you are subjected to.
And other than the pidgin shit I was never bothered too much seeing or going under the freeway.
I sure it would have been nicer with out it. But I just don't think it hurts downtowns ambiance too much.
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#14
(11-13-2012, 12:11 PM)PonderThis Wrote: It's hard to enjoy a babbling brook when freeway noise is blocking it out and giant concrete pillars are also in your viewshed. I personally think the freeway should have run on the eastern foothills.

I also hear the freeway could have avoided 2 mountains (and possibly some distance) if they'd bypassed Grants Pass. Smiling

I had dinner at Oh's last night, I didn't think it was as good as it used to be. But then, what is? Smiling

It isn't. We haven't been since they've moved to the old night club location. But it's been a good two years since we've gone to Oh's.
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#15
(11-13-2012, 12:04 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(11-13-2012, 05:06 AM)PonderThis Wrote: One fatal blow for Medford was putting the freeway right through the middle of town, practically over Bear Creek. That pretty well f'ed up the city.

I've heard that before. I don't get it it? It really doesn't go right through the middle of town. It goes OVER the center of town.
If the freeway went around the center of town east OR west that would also suck.
I don't think the freeway hurts anything any more than freeways hurt towns all over America.

As far as the college, without it the center of town would be even MORE dead.

IMO what killed our downtown is the same as all over America,, the freeway and our mall, strip malls and all of the big stores like Fred Meyers,Target,Walmart etc.
I can't even remember the last time I went downtown. There is nothing there I need or want.


It would be dead without the college, but only for a while. It would absorb what was lost when the school was gone. Most of the businesses that are trying to cater to the college crowd are struggling; those being eateries. Now why is that? They should do well, but they don't do well. We know where the Walmart is but what can downtown offer that is an alternative. The school just competes. It has no campus. So, it can't do the cool things that school do on their campus's. The non food store owners resent them, they don't cater to them as they should, do their is no cooperation or benefiting from each other as should be. They don't like the students because they don't cater to them and see them as competition for the competitive parking that brings business. Downtown has a school that downtown doesn't want. Hmmmmmm.:wacko:
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#16
(11-13-2012, 12:29 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(11-13-2012, 12:11 PM)PonderThis Wrote: It's hard to enjoy a babbling brook when freeway noise is blocking it out and giant concrete pillars are also in your viewshed. I personally think the freeway should have run on the eastern foothills.

I also hear the freeway could have avoided 2 mountains (and possibly some distance) if they'd bypassed Grants Pass. Smiling

I had dinner at Oh's last night, I didn't think it was as good as it used to be. But then, what is? Smiling

When I drive around or when I have walked around town near or under the freeway I've never really noticed the freeway noise. IMO the noise and smell is horrible around any traffic.
I used to work at intersections for weeks putting up traffic signals and after a while you REALLY notice the constant din you are subjected to.
And other than the pidgin shit I was never bothered too much seeing or going under the freeway.
I sure it would have been nicer with out it. But I just don't think it hurts downtowns ambiance too much.

I live about a mile from the freeway overpass at downtown. I can hear it all times day or night from my porch.

That being said, it's not like being under it would be such a deterrent if the creek was just being utilized as an area. A picnic area, a patio area, a gathering area, a hanging gardens area, anything, anything at all.
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