A short story in the Reading Eagle on Wednesday about competing proposals to fix up major buildings in downtown Reading helps me understand why Al Boscov isn’t the best one to help develop the city.
He thinks the city is empty!
"I don't know that there's an easy way to magically get people to come downtown," the department store magnate said.
Man, open your eyes! Downtown is full of people. Foot traffic galore. Thousands of people of all sorts walking up and down Penn Street and among its side streets all day long.
Oh – maybe Boscov isn’t thinking of “those people” but instead of rich, white people – the sort who drink foo-foo coffee and beer and buy expensive handbags in West Reading.
What about fixing up Reading to benefit the 80,000 people who live there? Though poor, they have money, have needs and are looking for fun.
Developer Alan Shuman, Boscov’s opponent in this project, seems to get this. His projects tend to improve neighborhoods to benefit residents, like the first grocery store built in Reading in decades. He’s railed about the City Hall red-tape that discourages new business, although the city is working on that.
Boscov’s vision perpetuates the “us vs. them” mentality. I know Reading is full of hard-working, smart people with kids who rely on public transportation and would love to have more businesses downtown. What about a Boscov’s department store?
Boscov was further quoted: "You have to make the city attractive, and the people will find you."
How about façade improvements downtown? The city has a program, but I never see news about it. Perhaps its 21-page application could be pruned.
As in many cities, it will be when the residents themselves are helped to create fun places – perhaps markets, restaurants, unique shops with thong-wearing mannequins, plazas – that people from everywhere will visit.
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