I have spent a lot of time decrying the 400 Block plans, and the lack of transparency involved in the process, and the rising costs, but the reality of it is I love the 400 Block, and I love downtown. I spend a lot of my time there. I have also spent a good portion of my adult life living and working in and around the idea of community creation. While it would be easy for me to spout off about Web 2.5 tools and social media, I thought I would talk about the 400 Block.
This week I had a chance to have my first lunch on the block. It was an amazing sort of thing. I bought some food from a locally owned downtown grocer (wink wink), and I went and sat with a friend in the park. There were about 50 people there, all doing the same thing. We were lucky enough to get a bench early, and some strangers sat down with us. And the four of us ended up talking about everything, and they even mentioned this website, which was cool.
There were a ton of 20 somethings, and teens doing whatever it is that teens and 20 somethings do. Primarily I think they were socializing, and by degree, looking for help finding their way through this world. At least that is what I was doing at that age. They were all cool kids, and they seemed to like what was going on there, and the vibe was nice.
Wausau Area Events puts on these little lunches that have amazing farmers, and other stuff. It is truly one of the best, more pure things that Leah and Kari and that group does. I am eternally grateful. I look forward to more time with my spork and some veggies on the square.
But, the event that is sort of the embodiment of the 400 Block, and in a lot of ways downtown, is the concerts.
For me, the music is just sort of warmed over, and not all that interesting, but I think the music is secondary. Every week thousands (maybe) sit on the square, and they get along and have drinks and food and enjoy each other’s company. Young people, old people all sitting together and doing the things that people do – talking about the events of the day, watching kids play, drinking some wine – and it all comes together like community. A community within a community. An inclusive event, put on by the groups that put on things like this in town, for free.
And we are lucky to have it. Communities can be online, focused around a sports team or idea, or around mutual interests. I have always found broad spectrum community is the best thing. Sitting with people, and doing regular people things: that is cool.
And that is what the 400 Block is to me.
Pat Peckham
10:18 pm on June 17th
Dino has many worthwhile thoughts, but his repeated claim that the 400 block/city square plans came about as some sort of a “non-transparent” process is simply baseless.
This is what people howl when they should have been paying attention and failed to do so. Nobody sneaked around on this one.
If you snooze, be prepared to be surprised on occasion. All the meetings were open and there were many meetings. Because there were many meetings, there were many news stories. The only cause for surprise was that it appeared the City Council had given the whole thing the green light, but what they said “yes” to was to go ahead and develop a detailed plan. It took a while to develop the detailed plan, but the only true change was in the depth of the detail. No new features were included. No features of any note were modified. Why the City Council balked at what had earlier been perfectly acceptable is a mystery of sorts, but the process has been tortuously transparent. The various committees listened to thoughtful people and they listened to people who have no business speaking in public. The ad-hoc study committee learned about the potential of the square and came together in support. Then, when they asked for permission to go out and take a stab at finding funding for all the work, the council put on the brakes, a move in part fueled by a strange suspicion that this was code for “ram it through.” Don’t get me started on that. The point is the process was open and above board. It has been from the start. If you don’t like the plan, find a valid reason to oppose it.
Not to beat up on a perfectly nice man, but Dino also has a problem with not being able to electronically access the final recommendations. They’re at City Hall. Anybody who wants to see them can do so.
Dino Corvino
10:50 pm on June 17th
I made it clear that this was a rather large love poem to the 400 Block, to celebrate the actual community that it is, and the work that groups like Wausau Area Events and the concert promoters do.
To remove one phrase from one sentence might be overkill.
The 400 Block is great, and the new design might or might not make it better.
But, that is not what I wrote about.