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Who's behind revitalization?

Many years ago a Sunnyvale City Council decided it was in the best interest of the citizens if part of "downtown" was destroyed and a mall was built. Long-established businesses were either closed down or moved, and we have today's "downtown" as a result.

Within the past few years the City Council, under the leadership of ex-mayors Larry Stone and Patricia Castillo, were going to revitalize "downtown" by spending $25 million on a theater. After squandering $3 million on plans, the whole thing was scrapped, and the city ended up paying the theater group that was involved another quarter-million or more for breach of contract.

From past performances, our city councils may mean well, but their results are not anywhere near the target they are aiming for. The current leadership seems to be in one awful hurry to get to a target that hasn't been defined.

How much tax money has the city wasted on Murphy Avenue? It certainly isn't a place I would take any visitors. Now the bar owners are asking for more police protection from their rowdy customers. That's a fine inducement for anyone to go "downtown."

While reading The Sun articles on redevelopment and watching the City Council discussions on the downtown, I have tried to figure out just who is behind this redevelopment scheme. I haven't seen or heard any Sunnyvale citizens demanding redevelopment and/or a new downtown. The business owners that have spoken before the council state that every time this type of plan arises, there are so many uncertainties that new businesses won't locate in Town and Country.

So, neither the citizens nor business people seem to be pushing for this. The remaining group contains the architects and builders, the bureaucrats at City Hall and the politicians. As far as City Hall is concerned, this might be just another bureaucratic "make work" and job-security project. The councilmembers hem and haw, but after watching them for a while, their votes become so predictable it isn't even exciting anymore.

The question remains unanswered: Who is demanding a "downtown" development?

Ken Bruce
Sunnyvale

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, July 29, 1998.
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