The Don of Stamford

Don Russell columnist for the Stamford Advocate has a great editorial today on Stamford downtown, tracing the ups and downs since WWII and making the case for continued growth.

I always Don's columns he has a great sense of prespective and an encyclopedia like knowledge of local history. With downtown developments irking certain residents calling for a return to how Stamford was, Don can ask them just exactly when are talking about. Was it this:

While the debate on the pros and cons of redevelopment was in full swing the city proper was deteriorating. Atlantic Street looked like a war zone. Buildings that lined the street, stores at street level and apartments or offices above, were fallow for so long that the owners razed them to reduce their tax payments.

Then there was the "running away" from the downtown. Parking was an issue. The downtown business establishments were being replaced by shopping centers and strip malls in the outlying areas of the city. Many of the downtown merchants moved their businesses to the shopping centers.

Sounds great! Downtown blight & strip malls. My original rant on the subject.