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Monday, August 22, 2005
Creative Class my ass.
 I'm not sure who Don Gerard is but he seems to be making an effort to become one of the worst reporters this town has ever seen. His recent synposis of the development of Green Street, "Developing Campustown with the 'Creative Class' in Mind" (Aug. 18 issue of Hub [website still useless - kind of ironic for a weekly dubbing itself "The Hub"]) is one of the silliest apologies for the corporatization of a city that I have ever read.Gerard, a "friend" of One Main investor and Hub creator Cody Sokolski ("Mr. Sokoloski" to Gerard), is attempting in this article to ooze love onto the flawed logic of the idea of Creative Class development. His summary of this idea comes gushing out in the third paragraph when we learn ... ...the key to revitalizing cities is appealing to artists and younger people, who do not always work nine-to-five or wear suits and most definitely have no interest in being trapped in an industrial park on the outskirts of town...Hmmm. Who knew? And here all this time I had thought that industry was the key to economic development. You know, the occasional Solo Cup plant, or the University. Silly me. Let's get Sleater-Kinney in here pronto so we can have some serious economic development happen! The stroking continues as we learn... ...One Main will soon be viewed as merely the initial keystone in the burgeoning redevelopment of not only downtown Champaign, but Campustown and the area in between...My goodness! That One Main building (paid for, btw with over $1 million of City of Champaign development money and the loss of the parking downtown) is apparently no building at all. It is ... dare I say it? ... the SAVIOR of our town! And what will our new salvation look like? Well, if you're a stockholder in a national food-chain (as most artists and young people are, I'm sure) then it's looking pretty good: ...the Green Street stretch of Campustown has improved drastically in recent years (Starbucks, Potbelly Sandwiches, Qdoba, Smoothie King, et al.)...The next Boise? No way! That is so cool. Dude. The problems with the logic behind this propaganda is are so glaring it is hard to know where to start. Getting rid of local businesses to make way for a Starbucks and Potbellys is a good idea? The quality of food can be determined by the name? The biggest "hoo-hah" of late is a discussion of a health food store? Huh? If I were the owner of Strawberry Fields I might be offended to find out that we need a health food store in this town. If I owned Espresso Royale I might be offended to learn that the Starbucks is going to be filling a large need in campustown. If I was a taxpayer in Champaign I would wonder why in Hell my City Council was giving Cody Sokoloski and his lot the key to the city. To attract "artists and young people"? Is this for real? What about the rest of us? Richard Florida is the man who is behind these theories of counter-economics. He is a punchline for serious economists, but is Jesus Christ himself to the pseudo-intellectual capitalists behind One Main and whatever else is going to be propped up to attract the Creatives. I have read Rise of the Creative Class and have come away with the distinct impression that Florida is out of his mind. Instead of focusing on economic development (you know, places that create high paying jobs and whatknot), Florida is focusing on the side effects of economic development (gentrification, restaurants, clubs, etc.). Paul Maliszewski put it better than I can in a recent issue of The Baffler: His (Florida's) advice to cities is, in effect, to build Potemkin bohemias, complete with authentic edginess, leveraged cultural assests, and street-level culture, all prepared for those esteemed dignitaries, the members of the creative class, to arrive. It all sounds rather nice – who wouldn't want cool stuff like a coffeeshop or Ron Wood in their town, especially real estate developers? But as a prescription for a revived economy, this plan is so wrong-headed and backwards that it reads like satire. Artists and indie rockers are not the engines of economic recovery. They can't be, because they flourish–or at least manage to eke out a living–in places that can support artists and indie rockers.In other words they are trying to fix a broken leg with an ice pack (look! the swelling went down!). Most disturbing, but perhaps least surprising, is the fixation with the group of people who make up the Creative Class. Missing (as usual) from the center of importance are the blue collar working folks who make the town run. Bus driver? Sorry, not Creative Class. Accountant? Please. Factory worker? You must be kidding, right? When the revitalization of downtown focuses on what is commonly known as The Beautiful People, then the community as a whole suffers. Families are not creative class, nor are children in any way figured into the equation. This is development for the privileged few who have been able to self-actualize their existence through (most likely) trust funds, expensive colleges, and dictated tastes (thanks Mojo Magazine!). For the rest of us, we drive by and it all looks pretty good. But we keep on driving.  
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19 Comments:
you make some interesting points, even if your tone is a bit antagonistic. :) i have a question, though -- just how much tax revenue was being generated by the miserably-empty wendy's that the new building to house noodles & co and chipotle will replace? and a comment: starbucks may be a massive coffee chain, but espresso royale isn't exactly a mom 'n' pop shop. it too is a chain, and doesn't seem to have been hurt too terribly by the entrance of starbucks into the local coffee scene.
for the record, although i might be considered a "creative class" twenty-something, i am also a mom with three kids; while i do spend much time driving by these "beautiful people" stomping grounds, and don't often stop due to time constraints and a limited income, i do believe that it's much nicer to drive by a pretty streetscape with pedestrian activity and business growth than a deserted, run-down wasteland. and so i ask you: what's the alternative, foley? can't we have this kind of "creative class" development AND other forms of development as well? i agree that gentrification is a concern. but i know that there are people who adhere to new trends in development while also trying to avoid gentrification, opting to mix up the classes, rather than push out the poorest members of a trendy locale. sesquecentennial neighborhood developer michael markstahler comes to mind, in that sense.
thanks for starting a dialogue. i do believe that your opinions about growth trends in c-u are shared with others out there. let's see what other readers have to say...
Antagonistic? With a title like "Creative Class my ass"? You're kidding, right? :)
There are alternatives to this kind of development, but they aren't very sexy. They require cities to look at high paying places of employment for large numbers of people. Volition, for example, probably employs up to 50 people with high paying jobs (totally guessing), but creates a lot of low paying "video game tester" jobs. The restaurants and bars create service work jobs. Where are the careers here? Where is the business that I can latch onto to feed my kids? It's not there.
One of the great strengths of downtown Champaign has been (imo) it's focus on developing locally owned businesses. Kopi, Impasta, etc. are owned (I believe) by people who live here. In other words, those people have a chance to raise a family with their business. That's a good thing.
When Gerard starting talking about how great it is to have national chains come to town it was a step too far. It's one thing to have a revitalization plan that is focused on the young and wealthy, but to then endorse unfair business competition at the expense of local business owners seems completely uncredible.
I am not an urban planner, but I think the City needs to develop a better business environment that puts real money in people's pockets. The idea here is have the downtown revitalization feed off of economic boom, not the other way around.
I admire you sticking up for the little guy who owns Espresso Royale.
i'd like to hear what don has to say, if he has time to post something.
regarding national stores, what i always wonder is if the capitalist system that supports big chains like trader joes also supports little stores like strawberry fields. after all, SF has expanded and seems to be doing quite well (even considering the high price one pays to shop there). i wonder, would SF turn down an opportunity to grow into two, or three, or eventually thirty or three hundred SFs around the country? who are we to say that strawberry fields isn't "the man," crushing the poor little common ground food co-op under its mighty toe? i'm not trying to pick a fight or single out SF; these are just some thoughts i've had cross my little mind over the last few years.
anonymous, i'm not sure if you're being sarcastic about espresso royale, but i was surprised to learn recently that espresso is a chain with close to 20 stores in six different states. see: http://www.espressoroyale.com. if we're going to talk about the "little guy," why not talk about kopi, aroma or bar giuliani, among others?
interestingly, kopi & impasta primarily employ people at low-paying "service work jobs" - hardly jobs that would feed your kids.
volition, on the other hand, employs upwards of 125 full time employees. the owner of volition is a uiuc grad who still lives in the area, insisted that his company be located downtown and has supported an unbelievable amount of community projects & initiatives.
come on, foley, there's room for all of these businesses and more. no one wants to see a completely corporate, chain-ridden downtown, but you are creating an either/or fallacy - the important thing is that the community decide what *balance* they want to see in their downtown and so heather is right - the dialogue is important, not a simple backlash against growth.
"Where are the careers here? Where is the business that I can latch onto to feed my kids? It's not there."
I totally see your point. If ONLY we had one of the largest universities in the country nearby to offer employment...and if ONLY all those kids and faculty members needed to bank and get their cars repaired and buy groceries and...
No, you're absolutely right - what this town needs is to focus on North Prospect and Savoy and bring in more Wal-Marts.
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Heather Zydek said...
i'd like to hear what don has to say, if he has time to post something.
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Unfortunately, the most civil response I can come up with is - “I see your point, Foleyma, but I imagine if you keep a hat on it won’t be as noticeable.”
Okay, okay…Here’s to the beginning of a beautiful friendship:
Foleyma relies on the rather tiresome "Rush Limbaugh-esque" technique of “speaking with authority” without bothering with the burden of facts, truth or credibility.
S/He “believes” Impasta is locally owned?
Yes, by Harold. His boys go to grade school & play baseball with my kids. Really nice guy.
Kopi? Well, it was when I mopped floors there for a while.
Is it not odd such a “voice for the local business owner” failed to notice “Don Gerardo’s Lucky Salmon” on Radio Maria’s menu during its first year in business?
Espresso Royale, however, is not. To be fair, it would take a pretty good reporter to dig up that information, I suppose.
By the way, which economists discredit Richard Florida?
Foleyma cites an article from the esteemed resource of economic analysis - “The Baffler”. (Ahem, yes. Well, I suppose nobody really follows EVERY link on these blog-thingies).
However, I did enjoy this excerpt from the website:
“Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying sh*t. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end, holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed.” – Steve Albini
Funny stuff.
Unfortunately, the quote Foleyma cited was not available on the link he provided.
I did, however, find the passage (eerily worded quite similarly, in fact) on a 17-month-blog entry from a guy from, uh…Canada?
http://thebiggeidea.blogspot.com/2004/01/being-creative-with-truth-dr.html
I suspect he never ordered the Lucky Salmon, either.
I would not be in the least bit surprised if the impetus behind the response to my article (and personal attack on me) was something as simple as losing a parking space and being forced to walk an extra three blocks.
I could go on, but, let’s be honest, I already feel as though I have shown up for a gunfight and the other guy was just standing there with a banana in his hand.
[cut to Foleyma bursting into tears and saying, "I'm sorry, Don!", me giving him/her a big hug and a montage of us eating ice cream, frollicking on the beach, getting tattoos, etc. appears with the song "Best Friends" in the background begins]
Lots to reply to. I'm grateful for the attention, really.
It is not an either/or fallacy, it's a reality. Currently there are no nationally owned retail businesses in downtown Champaign. The article not only excuses the allowing (yes, allowing!) of Starbucks into Campustown, it endorses this event. It appears to me that the next step would be allowing (yes, allowing!) nationals into downtown Champaign. To me that would be inexcusable (why not put a Guitar Center in next to Skins n' Tins?).
Kopi and Impasta employ service workers but their owners are local. That keeps most of the money local, which is (imo) a good thing.
If not Espresso Royale, then how 'bout Green St. Coffeehouse, or Paradiso? Is there any question that allowing Starbucks into campustown will drain business from these folks? Why get caught on the Espresso example? Hmmm.
This is not a backlash against growth. This is about trying to create a dialogue about smart growth.
I'll try it in Creative Class terms: when is the last time someone went to Austin and came back declaring the awesome starbucks the went to, or the awesome burrito they devoured at Chipotles? Part of your Creative Class index is homegrown goodness, correct?
But this is besides the point, really. The excusing of the corporatization of downtown is one thing, but the naked attempt to funnel cash into downtown Champaign by using Creative Class rationale is something else all together. I thought I had laid out the problem fairly clearly: this rationale starts with the side effects of economic development (the condos, for example) NOT the development itself. Cities like Chicago don't become hip because they have the Metro, they have the metro because they had the McCormicks, the Burnhams, etc.
But, Anon 2:42 points out, we do have our own strengths. In fact, you folks could argue that the creative class ideas are just ways to take advantage of the thriving economic environment that we already enjoy. The university creates a ton of wealth for this community, and we want to have a downtown area that reflects that wealth. It's pretty sound reasoning, actually.
But the problem then becomes: what about the bus drivers? What about the black kids living in our hoods? What about the homeless who have been nicely removed from downtown over the last ten years? Heck, what about the working class folks who can't afford to eat at Radio Maria?
Or don't they count? Forget about the businesses, isn't our downtown supposed to be a reflection of the entire community, not just the "artists and younger people"? Why gear your development directly at this small niche?
Unless, of course, it's all about money.
As for Mr. Gerard - I am not sure what to say. I did not attack you personally. I said you were a bad reporter (professional criticism) not an asshole (personal criticism). My argument may be a limp banana, or easily hidden under a hat, but you didn't make much effort to refute it. It doesn't matter much who you know or what floors you used to mop, can you defend the idea that the City of Champaign, Illinois should hitch it's wagon to this creative class notion? If so, I would be eager to hear your points.
As for the Baffler, it is quite esteemed and typically garners some of the best cultural critics this country has to offer. It is edited by Thomas Frank, who authored "Conquest of Cool," "Commodify Your Dissent" and, most recently, "What's the Matter with Kansas." (I thought it would have been nice to have him do a counter against Florida last year during the Krannert love-in, but I presume no one wanted to hear the other side? A bit too much money at stake, perhaps.)
I did not intend to quote the Maliszewski piece (though it does appear that way - sorry) since it is not online. My link was meant to go to the relevant issue of the journal (No. 16 - pgs. 69-79) I do, however, have a hard copy of the piece at my house and would be eager to copy and send it to you via snail mail. Let me know if you are interested.
Finally, Heather: I personally don't think anyone is "the man" at this point, but it is clear from the research that large corporations have greater buying power (bulk) so they can underprice their local competition out of the market. SF is much higher than common ground (or the other co-ops that run privately in this town), so they would need to reduce price dramatically to put the squeeze on. Trader Joes, or Whole Foods can easily underprice even common ground, which was one of my points to start with.
It would just be wise to read up on these ideas, and read the criticisms before signing $2 million deals to renovate an intersection and remove parking from downtown for a video game developer.
But hey, what do I know? I'm not trying to get rich.
I agree with mr. used to be cool. There's plenty of room for many types of businesses and jobs, and frankly, the attack on Don's article is without a lot of merit. CU is trying to not only create an attractive atomsphere that entertains the people who live here, but also attract new people to come and see the diverse offerings of both cities.
Foleyma, I don't understand why you think every job has to be a career destination. The average age of this area is in the mid to upper 20's. Most people in those jobs are working that alongside another position, or need the flexibility for school. And since when did every business have to cater to every single person in town? Ummm they don't. There are enough Wal-Marts in this town to adequately take care of all of us. I'll take a Pekara Bakery or Blind Pig Pub that may not be everyone's cup of tea over another McDonald's. I highly doubt the business plan for Radio Maria was consumed by the money they'd get from lower-income citizens.
It sounds like someone has an inferiority problem. You don't have to be in a rock band or a software designer to enjoy what downtown CU has to offer. You just have to have $10 and some time on your hands.
One Main was the result of local business people who wanted to develop an attractive and useful space that would bring more people to a place they cared about and give people reasons to spend money locally. That's initiative. What the hell is wrong with making the town you live in a better place and shaping it in the vision of other successful cities? Nothing.
It seems like I am speaking another language here. Does anyone have any interest in arguing the basic points?
Either creative class development is a good idea, or it is a bad idea (or something in between). Any theories on why it is a good idea? There is a LOT of tax money being thrown at this theory. Anyone care to defend it?
Also, how exactly did someone arguing against national food chains turn into someone wanting a Wal-Mart or McDonalds? Quick vocab lesson: these are not industries. They are retailers.
You all may not realize this, but the largest industry in this area is not the university, it is the farmland. Just a reality check.
Finally, I have no inferiority complex about the crowd outside Cowboy Monkey on a Saturday night. It's not my scene, it never has been. But to claim that One Main is some sort of altruistic venture to help the city is naive. One Main is a profit maker, a big risk by it's investors. No amount of good intentions got a single brick laid until they were convinced they could turn a profit.
The creative class theories give them a hipster leg to stand on. At the end of the day they're about making money.
You might not care. Good for you.
foleyma- it has to be about making money. that is basic survival. if you don't make money you are either a leech or you die. it's just that simple. money is the measure of human evolution. what's your economic bracket? are you afraid to admit it's better than 50K? are you a professional class or do spin wrenches and help keep the bottle line at plastipak rolling? don't tell me you commute to Rantucky every day to trim pig snouts.
why shouldn't the city and every business owner/investor try their hand at making as much money as possible? let's face it, they would be retarded to chase a less lucrative return.
targeting development for the creative class is a smart investment in growth. these are the young professionals who will build the future. they will stay and invest and grow here if we can make CU an attractive place for them to live and work. we have one of the most technologically advanced universities in the world in our backyard. why shouldn't we take advantage of that and try to keep those kids here working in hi-tech positions that fulfill them? they are the 'creative-class' after all. who will spend more money in the long run, professionals or working stiffs? so if I had a business, who should I target to to make the most money? I'll give you a big hint, it isn't working stiffs.
your Austin argument doesn't wash either. while the UT campus is a gas and has a great atmosphere it is an economic cesspool and is only buoyed by the cheap labor pool available and far more seasonable weather while school is in session. lets not forget that UT Austin has a larger student body than we do here and Austin also has a population base of 500K just in the city proper which is twice what we have in our entire county. apples and oranges.
I just don't understand your idea of business competition either. there is no such thing as unfair in business. you either offer the consumer the best product you can while making them feel satisfied and lining your own pockets or you fade away. If someone else can do it cheaper and please the consumer better, more power to them. where do you think the consumers are going to go?
you miss the point entirely. profit is democratic altruism. the consumers' dollars go where the consumers are best served. and if you build it and offer it for a reasonable price, they will come.
i find it utterly disingenuous that you claim caling someone "a bad reporter" is not an attack -- in fact, you called him the worst.
you throw shit at people and then expect to stay spotless
You said: "If I were the owner of Strawberry Fields I might be offended to find out that we need a health food store in this town."
I say: Maybe...but if you've ever been to Trader Joe's you would realize that Strawberry Fields is a poor excuse for a grocery store. Don't even get me started on their prices! Competition is not a bad thing.
Having recently visited Asheville, North Carolina (do go there if you haven't been), I saw firsthand what a creative class can do for a city's ability to attract bright, educated folks to the town. (Asheville is 69,000 strong, in case you wondered.) Asheville's downtown was about 3X the size of Champaign's, and was full of retail and restaurants. Wonderful boutiques, book/record stores, a wide variety of restaurants, and very few bars. It was essentially the opposite of downtown Champaign in that sense. But, the two downtowns are shooting for the same target: creating a wonderful attraction that also supports a healthy cultural scene. Culture does attract. I hope you don't doubt that.
I would have never considered moving to North Carolina -- until I met Asheville. Much in the same way people from across the country (let alone Chicago) likely say they would never consider moving to central Illinois, they might change their tune if we give them a certain cultural standard that's appealing. And yes, part of that is having a Starbucks to go along with a Kopi, and a Tower Records to go along with a Parasol. Champaign has just recently passed the threshold for population density (apparently), hence we're getting all these new chains that have been missing for years.
As a town, we need to retain before we can grow. Our students can't wait to leave after they graduate. The more reason we give them to stick around, the better. And, I do firmly believe that a city with a strong cultural identity will beckon big business -- regardless of collar color -- and keep those graduates employed.
I'm part of the "creative class" -- a 29 year-old editor -- and I'm leaving town soon because I've lived in central Illinois my whole life and I want to experience mountains and water and the perks of living in a larger city with more to offer. I want the quality of life that Champaign simply can't offer right now.
Also, I've lived in downtown for five years now, and I've never found the parking situation to be too problematic. I couldn't be happier about One Main going up. Sure, the condos were outrageously priced, but the building added two new restaurants, some retail, and some much-needed living space in downtown. Not to mention a large business.
Now, if someone could just get that old curmudgeon who owns the Kuhn's and Lincoln buildings (and a good deal more) to buy into the revitalization, Champaign's downtown might actually become a mirror of Asheville.
Homie please, I was watching Lonely Trailer and Uncle Tupelo in this town when you were still wiping your ass in the UMS bathroom (btw - why no “Water Between Continents” in your list of essential bands this week?).
Downtown was fine then (actually had a good record store - Village Green), and it's become elitist now. Read the posts above you:
The "creatve class" is a whole lot better than a class that doesn't create, but just stagnates.” by Mr. I Used To Be Cool. Nice implications there, buddy.
How 'bout this one:
"so if I had a business, who should I target to make the most money? I'll give you a big hint, it isn't working stiffs.” by Prairie Biker. Two insults in one: creatives don't work, and people who do aren't worthy of our attention. Nice.
Oh, and the best one of all:
"there is no such thing as unfair in business ... profit is democratic altruism” by Prairie Biker.
You down with those theories, homie? Or, more to the point: who would Jesus boot out of downtown to make way for $200K condos? Hint: *shhh!* it's the homeless (and the blacks!).
These posts remind me of being piled on in gym class when I called the coolest kid a dick. You folks are awful loyal to your friends, and I admire that. But do you know what you're talking about? Do you really think Cowboy Monkey is going to convince a programmer to live here instead of Oak Park? Or is this some sort of inferiority complex being played out with tax payer dollars, while your investor friends get rich?
More importantly (again), what's the fascination with the programmer in the first place? Where's the fascination with the workers (you know, the rest of the town)? You call new buildings a success while our jails are being expanded and we have more and more kids added to the free-or-reduced lunch crowds at our schools. How, exactly, do we measure success? When I can see Seinfeld in a small comedy club downtown and the “working stiffs” are safely in a housing project somewhere?
And Seth you have been the best writer in this town for some time now, and I think you know it. You make Studs proud.
Seth - thanks for being a point of reason in this debate. As usual, the Truth seems too lie somewhere between "the developments are awesome" and "the developments suck!"
Let me also state that I do not know Cody and therefore have nothing against him personally. I also don't know Gerard and don't have anything against him, either. I am sure they are nice guys.
I base my words on their public comments. Cody probably really believes Richard Florida's theories, and is hoping to help his hometown get hipper. Gerard is probably legitimately excited about Noodles & Co. This is not personal.
It is, as you wisely stated, about money. I have been listening to this rationalization of consolidated wealth creation for years now, and it just doesn't wash. I think I would honestly have less trouble with the whole thing if the investors just came out and said "we want to make a shitload of money - here's how we're going to do it." Don't try to con us with this creative class bullshit, just cut to the chase.
White, affluent young people have more money to spend. They like to feel cool. We're going to create some space so they can purchase their coolness, and we're going to get rich doing it. Nice business plan.
Meanwhile YOU, Seth Fein, actually go about the business of being an artist and are far from getting rich. Read the Stranger article in my latest post. She lays it out succinctly.
Tell you what. If they want a hipster environment they should give free health insurance and free rent to all the artists. Then they can truck in so-called creative class (the programmers) to hang out with them, and then truck them home. We can all have a creative class utopia and my yahoo friends and I don't have to listen to long explanations about hip our town is now. Works for everyone!
Finally, mad props to you and whomeve for all the great shows this fall. Of Montreal is one of my favorites (though I secretly like Olivia Tremor Control much more), Sufjan is a coup, Death Cab and even Spoon will be great fun.
Are any of these shows happening in dowtown Champaign? Hmmm.
Seth Fein, from now on your Delta frat name will be...Second Banana
Wally "the Fen" Fenwick
townie -
you make some good historical points, though I would argue against aligning the future of a town with its past. Yes, without the railroad Champaign would not exist, but how does that relate to the corporatization of campustown? Without the African-American population this town would be much smaller and the work they have done to build this area cannot be underestimated. Are they to be catered to in any way, or are our planners only to focus on the beautiful people?
Change is a good thing, but change can be controlled. We can build a town that is an authentic representation of the people who live here, instead of a representation of the people we want to live here. The U of I is perfectly capable of attracting undergrads because it is the best educational deal in the state, not because we have a Chipotles.
I am happy you are so knowledgeable about Champaign's history. I would hope you would be as interested in the stories of the people who live here today. Most of whom see little for them in downtown.
Cheers!
OK, here's my 2 cents:
I'm an entrepreneur. I'm right now thinking of moving from Chicago down to Champaign (believe it or not) for the following reasons:
I want a small, but nice loft that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg. Living in a town that isn't going to require an hour's drive to get anywhere. (Heck, I'll go back to Tokyo for that.)
Access to the university, the researchers there, and the library.
There's quite a bit of high-tech around there my company can work with.
Close enough to Chicago that I can drive up when I need to jump on a plane to Japan.
Now, I'm not going to move to Champaign unless it offers something along the lines of the lifestyle I want. Sort of European, with little cafes, bookstores, restaurants, etc. A place where it's nice enough to walk outside. Good coffee. I prefer quirky coffee shops but sometimes I'll want a Starbucks because of the WiFi and because I know exactly what I'll get there.
I was a grad student at UIUC during the early 90s and let me tell you Champaign was not at all attractive then. Warehouse city. I couldn't wait to vamoose to the bright lights.
So here's the question: do you want for Champaign to attract people like me or not?
Much in this commentary seems to imply that somehow the City of Champaign can forbid a "national chain" from renting (or purchasing) property and opening a business anywhere that a business can be legally operated. How would that work?
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