I had another strange dream...

The dream wasn't 'weird' or anything. Just 'strange' in the sense that I'm continuing to dream about the topics I blog about here.

In this dream, the currently vacant lot where I had been proposing part of the answer to Downtown Stoney Creek's parking problem might lay...becomes a condo development. Which makes sense in many ways. (In much the same way that I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the same thing takes place when Mr. Kepecs finally talks to us...and by 'us', I don't mean My Stoney Creek, I mean the collective Stoney Creek 'us'...and reveals that this is kindasorta what's going in where all the manufacturing facilities soon 'used to be' at the Dairy site.)

But in this dream, it wasn't the condo development that was the issue.

It was the contrast.

Think of it: a tasteful condo development goes in, housing Ihaven'taclueastohowmany people. For the sake of argument, let's suppose...a hundred.

OK.

So we have a hundred new downtown residents.

A hundred new 'locals'.

And aside from popping into Tim's for a coffee or a heading to the Village for sit-down meal or satisfying their medical needs or getting a mani or a pedi...

...they're going to have to...by default...shop elsewhere for just about all their needs.

Think about that for a second.

Usually, when you're adding to an urban area's capacity, if there's any amount of organic truth present, there's either extant supporting infrastructure, or the new development is bound to spur such aspects of thriving urban supporting infrastructure.

To wit: in Dundas, before the massive retirement complexes went up, there was already a supermarket, strips malls and a well-established downtown within walking distance. So bringing in the number of new residents that these developments did, naturally infused what was there, and that the supporting infrastructure will only get more pronounced is a pretty reasonable conclusion to draw, doncha think?

Or, in a city centre where there are all kinds of opportunities for growth, for inspired entrepreneurs to make the most of an infusion of new, local residents, wouldn't the notion of businesses moving in to capitalize on this shift be another safe conclusion to draw?

In terms of how this relates to Downtown Stoney Creek:

-In the former set of circumstances, the downtown has not been poised to make an easy market of this infusion of new locals. The supporting infrastructure is simply non-existent.

-In the latter set of circumstances, knowing that there is a longstanding dearth of any sense of vision, of ingenuity, of initiative downtown...I don't believe anything will change. Bluntly: despite the influx of the most desirable category of consumers...'locals'...things will remain as they have been for a long time, with no risks being taken, with the status quo being modified only as much as 'not staying in one place' being a rough definition of 'moving' permits.

Which is all such a damned shame.

Now, I realize that it's entirely possible for what I've proposed in my ten-part series about Downtown Stoney Creek to occur slowly, over time, rather than in the waving-of-a-wand, 'Presto, Chango!' way that I've proposed.

But in order to get on board with that possibility, I'd have to have something in front of me that lends it credence. And I don't.

I've already examined the downtown merchants trends going back forty-five years. (This is all laid out here.) And in combination with looking at what I see now, as I walk the downtown almost daily, and the scuttlebutt I've been hearing, I'm left assuming that 'No, innovation and change ain't movin' into town anytime soon.'

Which of course, makes me sad.

But hey; maybe I'll have another dream, and this one'll be 'strange' for all the right reasons.

Or I'll just keep developing this project.