As we enter the new millennium (sorry, I have three more "millenniums" in my outbox to use up), I thought it my duty to propose a few ideas to fellow Trojans on how we can spruce up the city and bring it back to glory - using our impressive history of course.

I Didn't Know That?

Every time I throw out a little "Troy First," I get the reaction, "I didn't know that?" So, in order to promote the great history of this city, let's do the following. Those new fangled traffic lights (that remind me of the Monolith from 2001 Space Odyssey) at most of the intersections in downtown are not being used properly. Notice that there's ample space between the polls that hold the lights for a nice two-sided informational poster. I suggest that each of these have a poster with a description of a famous event, or historic tidbit, attributed to Troy, and large enough to read from a car.

Afterall, think about how many minutes you spend waiting at traffic lights when you drive through Troy? Five? Ten? Fifteen minutes? Why just sit there and stare at the light. Get educated. While you wait for a green light you can learn that the plates for the famous Civil War ironclad battleship The Monitor, that turned the war for the North, were rolled in Troy. Or, that 9 out of 10 men wore Troy collars during the first half of the 20th century, etc. There are hundreds of Troy facts that would numb even the most ardent historian.

Each corner could have three or four boosterisms for Troy, and updated regularly. At least newcomers would learn something about the city they just settled in. Great for RPI or Sage students, don't you think? Travellers passing through can leave with a bit more knowledge about why Trojans love their city.

By the way, I don't know who came up with the idea of dressing up the storefronts on downtown vacant buildings but let's do more of it. It's a great idea. There is nothing positive about sitting at an intersection and looking at vacant storefronts. Not very inviting is it? This blends nicely with my poster idea. Every intersection in Troy should look alive and capture the attention of both pedestrian and driver.

Fill In the Blanks Please!

Another thing that bothers me are those "holes" in the streetscape as you walk or drive down the major streets of the city. I don't mean the wasteland formerly known as Market Block, Franklin and Chatham Squares. No, I mean the ill conceived idea of allowing the demolition of buildings so the next door neighbor can use the lot for parking a few cars, or even an entrance to a parking garage like the one on River Street near the Dauchy Building.

Historian John Wolcott calls this "Building Cannibalism." In Troy, I call it "Trojanesque Fever." It appears to be contagious.

These visual eyesores detract from the great historic streetscape of downtown. Why not erect a pseudo 19th century facade in the front of these "holes" so as to at least give the appearance of an intact streetscape?

Or better yet, when someone is given permission to tear down a building to use for parking, make them leave the facade intact. At least when we walk down the street admiring the architecture we don't have to be interrupted with sights of a '73 Impala or '99 BMW instead of a building. It's a sidewalk we're walking on, not the parking lot at Grossgates.

An even better idea is not to let anyone tear a good building down in the first place!

On Top Of The World

I have an idea to bring back commercialism in the city too! Tear down the Taylor Apartments except for building 3 (yes, relocate those folks to nicer quarters first). Take building 3 and convert it into a nice riverfront hotel with a restaurant on the top floor with windows facing all directions (maybe not facing the oil tanks on Center Island). It's a gorgeous view of the Hudson Valley!

Take the space of the remaining three building lots and develop it into a historic looking but new shopping center complete with movie house. Demolish the entrance ramp to the Congress Street bridge, or whatever they're calling it these days, and have the entrance on the Division Street side (now the exit ramp from the bridge), or make Ferry Street two way.

This new shopping district - right on the Hudson River - will segway nicely into historic River Street north of Congress and connect to that already revitalized section of the city. It could be called 'Troy Commons' or 'Hudson's Plain,' but I'll let the business developers come up with a good corny name.

Railroad tracks come as far south as Liberty Street, so you could run a short line from there (or uncover the trolley tracks already there no doubt) into the new shopping district. Obtain the old steam Locomotive from the local railroad group who owns it and run a tourist/excursion train from here to Albany. It would bring people into the city in droves.

Imagine taking the steam train to Troy, enjoy a great dinner at a fine restaurant (we have several), shop in downtown (again), admire Troy's architecture, and finish the day listening to great music at the Troy Music Hall? Just like the old days! What a treat!

On the other hand, maybe I've had too much eggnog.