Like The Gary before him, John Lopp seems eager to graft as many exurban principles as possible onto the downtown canvas to impress those prone to the way of reacting, not necessarily thinking, that culminates with the exclamation, “Boy, just think if we had a (insert national chain store) downtown.”
In this, I believe Lopp is utterly mistaken. It is ludicrous to mention the magical words “Cracker Barrel” as curative for a vicinity that has numerous, unique local dining options already, and it makes me worry that the residential neighborhood he has in mind might be better situated up on the hill, behind a big wall and billfold-activated gates.
To be fair, at least some of this dust-kicking may be intended to distance Lopp Real Estate from the downtown work of former associate Mike Kopp, now out on his own as Blue Sun. And, positing the need for charming downtown “gateways” probably is harmless and might provide a morale boost to some.
Just the same, much of what Lopp says in today’s Tribune cover story strikes me as jarringly out of synch with what we’ve learned about downtown prospects — fundamentally, that they be distinct and local, and that the city be used as it was intended to be used.
Can your Cracker Barrel do that? Nope.
Next?
