11-27-2009
( Reply#: 3990 ) |
Tom J |
I hope there will be a "new" Downtown, but the old Downtown can never be duplicated; it is gone forever, except in our memories.
Tom |
11-29-2009
( Reply#: 4037 ) |
Joel357 |
If Joliet can rebuild the downtown so can Hammond. |
12-07-2009
( Reply#: 4112 ) |
Jay |
There has been decades of talk and attempts, but a visit gives evidence of the lack of success. I suspect that indoor malls will keep away shoppers from any further attempts to revitalize downtown Hammond. I can't explain why Woodmar failed. But River Oaks required climate controlled passageways to save it. And Southlake Mall is not only diversified and conveniant, but that entire area is expanding thereby providing even more selections and competition for consumers.
Even the railroad overpasses did not seem to help Hammond much. Today's generations no longer have a loyalty to the downtown shopping areas like their parents and grandparents had. And while downtown Hammond can try to attract stores, can these stores compete with the well established malls?
We all have changed ... and so has Hammond.
|
12-07-2009
( Reply#: 4116 ) |
BobK |
River Oaks killed downtown Hammond and the lack of an overpass didn't help. I don't see how it could come back.
Bob
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Bob1.jpg[/img] |
12-07-2011
( Reply#: 7641 ) |
seejay2 |
Downtown will never return. The 'mom & pops' are gone forever and the big boxes aim to keep it that way. Down in Ky where I am, there are a lot of 'mom & pops' and these places have the character I remember of Hammond in the 50s-60s. But head into downtown Murray, a university town, and that all vanishes. All the franchises have taken over; WalFart, Applebee's (do not put that crap into your body), Cracker Barrel, etc. There still are a few places, but they will eventually go. I see the same pattern repeating itself that I witnessed in 'da region'. |
12-07-2011
( Reply#: 7644 ) |
Jay |
A few years ago, somewhere near the old Minas building, I remember seeing a large sign from a developer who was trying to generate advanced sales for a condominium project. After years of displaying it, it has disappeared. I assume this revitalization project has failed, just like the dreams some of us had for the downtown area.
As for the River Oaks shopping mall, has anyone visited there during a time other than between Thanksgiving and Christmas? It's a ghost town!!! On the multiple days I have shopped there, the parking lot had to be at least 75% empty. And as for the cars that filled up the remaining 25% (or less), some of them had to belong to the employees. Yet I don't see this happening at SouthLake Mall.
p.s. to seejay ... you state we should not put Applebee food in our bodies. We just ate there a few days ago. Should I have my stomach pumped? |
12-07-2011
( Reply#: 7645 ) |
Tom J |
quote:
Originally posted by Jay
A few years ago, somewhere near the old Minas building, I remember seeing a large sign from a developer who was trying to generate advanced sales for a condominium project. After years of displaying it, it has disappeared. I assume this revitalization project has failed, just like the dreams some of us had for the downtown area.
As for the River Oaks shopping mall, has anyone visited there during a time other than between Thanksgiving and Christmas? It's a ghost town!!! On the days I have visited, the parking lot had to be at least 75% empty.
Not sure if this is what you are talking about but there were plans to make apartments in the old Minas Store building but this never happened. The store was torn down along with Gene's Restaurant and Stoltz Drugs to make room for a new First Baptist Church auditorium. The space once occupied by all of those businesses and the outdoor parking lot behind Minas's is now taken up by on HUGE building.
I think it was in 2002 that the Minas store fell to the wrecking ball. There are pictures somewhere on the Internet of demolition.
Tom |
12-07-2011
( Reply#: 7646 ) |
Jay |
Thanks Tom J for that update about the Minas apartments.
After reading the link that appeared in BobK's first posting in this thread, I was surprised to learn that "In a 1959 study by Purdue University and a Washington, D.C. retail consulting firm, a rather ominous future was cast for downtown Hammond, stating without space for future expansion, the market would dry up."
With such advanced notice, you would think that would give city planners enough time to take measures to prevent this prediction from happening.
However, I believe that many of us are allowing our dreams to be influenced by nostalgic emotions. And that is not always wise when it comes to making a business decision. If we can't have reality, at least we have our fading memories. |
12-07-2011
( Reply#: 7647 ) |
seejay2 |
quote:
Originally posted by Jay
p.s. to seejay ... you state we should not put Applebee food in our bodies. We just ate there a few days ago. Should I have my stomach pumped?
Naw! Just don't do it anymore. Support your local dives and greasy spoons..Cj |
12-07-2011
( Reply#: 7655 ) |
Paddy |
quote:
I miss the old downtown but I don't think I'll see much change from the current in the rest of my lifetime.
It saddens me to agree, but I must. As Gertrude Stein once said about going back to her childhood home, "There is no 'there' there." My point is that downtown Hammond lacks a unique landmark, characteristic or attraction to make it stand out from surrounding areas.
I don't blame downtown Hammond's demise on shopping malls. To me, its death came from a combination of switchyards and railroad crossings. Back when rail travel was king, Hammond was at the nexus of trains going to and from Chicage to all places east and south.
The Gibson yards have shrunk measurably, but in my day the IHHB switch engines closed crossings all the way to Calumet Avenue. If you have not sat idling at a rail crossing while a switch engine slowly pushed and pulled rail cars to and fro as it blocked the crossing, you have not really experienced gridlock. The same goes for the rail yard along the north of downtown, where switch engines regularly caused traffic backups on Hohman all the way into downtown.
I too miss the old downtown, but I think that a renaissance of the downtown is out of the question. |
12-07-2011
( Reply#: 7657 ) |
tom w |
I often think that if things remained as they were many years ago, these memories that we hold dear would become worthless. Tom W |
12-08-2011
( Reply#: 7659 ) |
seejay2 |
Tom, you got it, 'spot on'. What we had then, we took for granted. I'm not blaming this, that or the other. It is what it is and it's the whole country, not just NWI.
Like Joni Mitchell sings:
"You don't know what you got till it's gone"...Cj |
12-08-2011
( Reply#: 7660 ) |
Roger D |
Well there goes another one, (landmark that is). Just saw online that the Calumet Theater is to soon be demoed.
People today ae in to big of a hurry. They want it ALL Now! wheather it is a new auto, home, or groceries. All they know is convenience.
That is one reason the country is in the shape it is in. Just like the commerical says "IT IS MY MONEY AND I WANT IT NOW" |
12-08-2011
( Reply#: 7661 ) |
tom w |
CJ Conway Twitty too. {"You don't know what youve got--until you lose it."} Well, close anyhow. Tom W |
12-08-2011
( Reply#: 7662 ) |
seejay2 |
quote:
Originally posted by Roger D
Well there goes another one, (landmark that is). Just saw online that the Calumet Theater is to soon be demoed.
People today ae in to big of a hurry. They want it ALL Now! wheather it is a new auto, home, or groceries. All they know is convenience.
That is one reason the country is in the shape it is in. Just like the commerical says "IT IS MY MONEY AND I WANT IT NOW"
100% correct! There is no sense of accomplishment from saving up for something, nor is there any product value. You have a social order out there today who believes that this "free" money coming in is an endless cornucopia of cash just waiting to be pissed away on whatever overpriced garbage is out there. Why wash clothes? Toss them out and buy new. Why fix it? Plunk down a credit card and buy brand new.
What they don't and won't realize is that this is all middle class money footing the bill. And when the money is all gone, the upper crust sure isn't going to pay for the commoners to live like royality. Then we will be right where they have wanted us since the inception of America, the "Haves" and the "Have nots". It didn't just happen this way. It is a well thought out plan that took years and years to come to fruition. This is why nothing will ever return anywhere remotely resembling what we once knew...Cj |
