RM 07-18-75 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7. PROGRESS REPORTS (Cont'd Mr. Dan Caesar said his observations were that we did not have enough trash containers during the festivities to place the trash in. They were not adequate and were filled. He re- commended we consider some changes in that, and that if he were on the Commission, he certainly would encourage more of the vendor stands to be out there all the time. He suggested having vendors there who would serve ethnic foods all day throughout the week. That would being a lot of people downtown. President Nimtz said that technically, that is not under our jurisdiction or control. We could be advisory to that, but that is something that is under the Board of Public Works. Mr. Brownell said that we will have to go just the opposite, and that we are going to have to get those stands off of that block where the pavement will be dug up in that block, so the stands will have to be moved.` Mr. Wilcox said he had the opportunity about ten days ago to tour the lake front in Chicago, and he saw at least 15 or 20 vendor stands - -even on Oak Street Beach -- various parks- -and even on various rights of way in Chicago- -are doing a thriving business, which is somewhat similar to the various things we do, and that he would certainly heartedly recommend to the Redevelopment Commission that we not permanently remove the vendors -- temporarily take the street pavement out, of course, but that he would like to suggest that those vendors be given the opportunity` for other locations on the Plaza. He said he feels it is very necessary to depart in what goes on in downtown South Bend. "In my estimation, the vendors are a necessary part of the downtown South Bend area, and in the construction of the addition to the Plaza, I would certainly recommend that the thought be given to locating them in some other area of the Plaza pending completion." Commissioner Wiggins said, "to encourage people to come down, I am with you 100 %. There is a certain amount - -at least applying to children and the young -at- heart - -that remains with the idea of the hot dogs or hamburgers, or whatever, in the outdoor kind of circumstance, that can well be the deter- mining factor as to whether someone comes downtown or goes somewhere else." Mr. Brownell advised we will have a problem with the hot pretzel stand and the Photo Hut as they have to be moved and they require electrical connections which we had installed from the I &M lines. They will have to be moved out of the way because we are going to tear that pavement up where they are. Mr. Wilcox was not disagreeing he said, but "just making the observation, but I think that such stands for vendors, or what - ever you want to call them, should be included for any future plans for the Plaza. I think, as Mr. Wiggins pointed out also, Commissioners are certainly aware of the fact that the perfor- mances put on downtown have created greater business downtown for the merchants, and I personally, with 18 months of this - 15 -