Growing up in Bristol was not glamorous. Friday nights in high school consisted of going to Muzzy to watch a football game and then we either went to a party(or held our own ;-] ) or we cruised the main roads (Rt6 or North Main) and drove through all the fast food joints to see who was out. We might go bowling at ten pin but what else was there to do? Not much. We couldn't gather together because the cops would always come and break us up.
Turning 21 didn't change it all that much. We could go to a few of the local bars (none very nice looking) or we could go clubbing (only one in town but it was rough). There hasn't been a cinema in town for years (used to be next to the McD's on River Rd across from Barnes building) and there aren't any bookstores to just sit and read a coffee and chat, at least not the Borders/BnN variety anyway. If we wanted something really cool to do... we went somewhere else!
Well that could change! If you aren't aware, the town has partnered with a firm called Renaissance, who has developed a preliminary plan to revitalize the downtown area. I'm not talking about just the North main street area, but actually the area from the King Street end of Memorial Boulevard up to the West end and from the Intersection of Rte 6 and North Main to South Street. They have done some really nice studies on this area and are in the process of finalizing that design. Their plan is to create what they call a 'mixed use' (meaning residential and commercial/retail) area centred at the site of the old Centre Mall.
What does this have to do with you? You can get in on the discussion! They have set up a website called BristolRising which has the latest information on this effort. People can join the website and put up ideas for what they would like to see there. Then you can vote on which of the ideas you like the best and hopefully those get incorporated in the final plan. Of course I am not doing the whole thing justice but let me make the most important point here.
Well that could change! If you aren't aware, the town has partnered with a firm called Renaissance, who has developed a preliminary plan to revitalize the downtown area. I'm not talking about just the North main street area, but actually the area from the King Street end of Memorial Boulevard up to the West end and from the Intersection of Rte 6 and North Main to South Street. They have done some really nice studies on this area and are in the process of finalizing that design. Their plan is to create what they call a 'mixed use' (meaning residential and commercial/retail) area centred at the site of the old Centre Mall.
What does this have to do with you? You can get in on the discussion! They have set up a website called BristolRising which has the latest information on this effort. People can join the website and put up ideas for what they would like to see there. Then you can vote on which of the ideas you like the best and hopefully those get incorporated in the final plan. Of course I am not doing the whole thing justice but let me make the most important point here.
For once, Bristolites have a chance to be part of an effort which could drastically alter the fabric of the town. This is the best effort I have seen ever and is also, I might add the best and most proper approach to fixing the towns aesthetic ills. Single issue, narrow focus efforts have been tried with varying degrees of success, but this takes a comprehensive, 50,000 foot view of the town and drafts a plan to address.
I urge all of you that care for the town and it's future to visit the site and get involve in the action and the discussion. Let's stop talking about how much it sucks and actually do something about it! I have...I hope you will too.
I urge all of you that care for the town and it's future to visit the site and get involve in the action and the discussion. Let's stop talking about how much it sucks and actually do something about it! I have...I hope you will too.
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