Not gathering dust...was gathering momentum before the economy went to the crapper. The thing about it - it is the first time the city has got their wits about them and made a comprehensive plan that details the components that will make downtown friendly. This plan should have been written 20 years ago. It would have saved the city billions in infrastructure improvements and helped the bold new city of south truly breakthrough. Think of what we could be spending that money on? Put that in your light-rail pipe and smoke it.
This is completely not true - Delaney's Downtown Master Plan in 2000 was far more comprehensive (and won awards). My problem with this is it is not a plan - it is a wish list. A plan would have included funding sources. It would be like a business publishing a list of expenditures, without any revenue, and calling it a budget - not exactly the same thing.
Not to mention, it's not like Peyton did anything for downtown while the economy was in the upswing in 2003 and 2004. If he wanted to do this then, fine.
Personally, I don't think this is going to go anywhere, save for possibly the street conversion, and maybe the friendship fountain thing (since he's going to need a legacy project, and the Courthouse isn't going to be it). I think it is a great list created to shut people up, and make people think he cares about downtown.
