FranklinNOW and the Franklin Today blog report on a common council meeting I could not attend Tuesday night. My unavoidable absence was particularly unfortunate because they discussed the city-owned parcel of land between Fire Station #1 and the Franklin Public Library, which I'd indicated would be a good location for a coffee shop/co-working facility if we could somehow induce that sort of development.
After reading both accounts (FranklinNOW starts out breathlessly: "Officials know that some empty city-owned space at 8921 W. Drexel Ave. has caught the eye of several interested parties, but they will want to continue to mull how to re-use that property."), it's clear that I should clarify some aspects of the concept I'd proposed and the process thus far.
First of all, it's my understanding that the Common Council asked various departments and commissions to submit their recommendations for the city-owned space. So, outside of the Fire Department, the "interested parties" became "interested" only after being asked to do so. (The Economic Development Commission recommendation is pending.)
As for my co-working facility idea, the most important point is this: The specific parcel between the library and the fire department was a CATALYST for my concept of using city resources to promote the idea of a coffee shop/co-working facility in a logical space close to the library, park, and subdivisions, but the concept is NOT dependent upon that specific spot.
In most of my discussions and meeting regarding the issue, this seems to be the hardest thing to make clear. For my part, I was led to believe in my initial inquiries that the fire department had not indicated any particular interest in that land. Therefor, I continued to refer to that piece of land specifically when describing a coffee shop/co-working facility, even though there's an entire "zone" in proximity to the library, park, subdivisions and city hall that could be suitable.
It's been made clear since then, however, that the Fire Department would like to expand Fire Station #1 in the direction of that land. As I've always said, Fire Department gets first dibs.
So, to reiterate: the coffee shop/co-working facility conversation can go on without regard to the specific parcel in question.I think it might be wise at this point to "rebrand" the proposal as well by removing "coffee shop" from the title to prevent shorthand characterizations like the one I noticed in the FranklinNOW report ("There has been interest in the property for businesses, such as a coffee shop, the mayor said..."). While I think a coffee shop component is very important, more attention needs to be paid to the co-working function of a facility like the one I have in mind, and what such a facility could mean to the community in terms of supporting business development and small business collaborations.
Finally, Greg Kowalski's Franklin Today blog item paints a picture of political intrigue ("Michlig would need both the Mayor and the CCP to support his plan for that parcel, and without it...at this point I'd have to contend that the proposal could be labeled as 'politically dead'....) that simply does not exist. I am not a city employee nor an elected official, and the Economic Development Commission on which I serve is unbudgeted; at best I can afford only to offer my ideas and "shake the trees" in hopes of creating a productive conversation that gets us above and beyond business as usual.
So, back to shaking trees I go ...
May the apples fall from the trees and hit a few noggins on the way down.
BTW...Alderman Solomon indicated it would most likely take three years before anything was decided regarding that land.
Also, I don't think John Neville had as much of a following with his NOW articles, of which accuracy was the norm. The current articles are more closely related to opinionated blogging with headlines that are ALL a play on words.
Posted by: Janet Evans | August 19, 2009 at 11:30 PM