Quote:
Originally Posted by MandoMan
Apart from driving on 301, what do I get out of Wildwood? I eat at Casa Agave. I use the Post Office several times a year. I use the dry cleaner a couple times a year. I bought a set of tires in Wildwood. That’s it. But. Wildwood is growing fast, trying to dilute its crime rate by building lots of new houses and apartment complexes. I think Wildwood picks up a lot of money from the Trailwinds Village / Pinellas Plaza developments. This leaves the city cash flush, so it’s being spent on a city park and multistory parking garage that few Villagers will use. But the new construction means they also need to put in a much larger sewage plant, which is expensive. I think the mayor and city council are making a lot of smart decisions to improve the city, but I don’t think Villagers who are in Wildwood will be getting value for money. I wonder if that annexation of what is now Villages houses into Wildwood was a deal that had to be made by the developer to get permission to build houses on what had been empty pasture land.
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Trailwinds could have been a regional attraction with proper planning and integration of businesses.
Some of the unique businesses from the current downtown could have been integrated into the planning using the downtown "revitalization" funds.
Instead we have Trailwinds with no apparent planning approving unconnected parcels with random, and several competing businesses within 100 yds of each other.
Instead a small fortune is invested planning for the "Downtown" boonoggle keeping 301 down the middle that echoed what the 1980's mindset local government who hired them wanted.
The development plan featuring a multistory parking garage is no more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Plenty of opportunity to be innovative and do better but some long term vision would be required. This is where the Developer excels.