Covent Garden Market & What's Next For The Landing

[thelakelander]

It could be possible that he was personally familiar with the site prior to its redevelopment.

[Wombley Womberly]

It could be possible that he was personally familiar with the site prior to its redevelopment.

It could be. I'd never heard that "Covent Garden (as a district) was not particularly thriving before the redevelopment of the market," so I was curious.

[Wombley Womberly]

COJ would be responsible for needed investments such as cleaning, maintaining and activating its parks, streets, programming, and ensuring local policies are in place to help guide the market and good pedestrian scale design.

Why should COJ (meaning taxpayers) be "responsible for needed investments?"

[thelakelander]

Since when aren't municipalities responsible for the public realm within their limits? That's one of the main reasons we have taxes.

[Wombley Womberly]

Since when aren't municipalities responsible for the public realm within their limits? That's one of the main reasons we have taxes.

Why should tax dollars be spent on a moribund area like the Landing?

[Adam White]

I can't think of anyone ever telling me that. Why would you assume someone did?

If nobody told you "Covent Garden (as a district) was not particularly thriving before the redevelopment of the market," where did you get that impression?

Probably from experience. In any event - if you have any interest in the topic, this website might be worth your time:

http://coventgardenmemories.org.uk/category_id__40.aspx

And Fiona White (no relation) has this to say about her childhood in Covent Garden:

In the 1970's, Covent Garden wasn't the hectic place it is today. Fiona remembers a sense of quietness, the stillness in the streets around the Piazza and the old market area, which were almost deserted of pedestrian traffic, particularly after the market closed. Now she lives in southeast London with her husband and two children. But in the 1970's, Long Acre, where she lived with her parents, and then Mercer Street, where she moved as an adult, were more residential, Fiona recalls. However, there are still a few times these days when she can recapture the feeling of what Long Acre was like when she was a child: 'it's a lovely area to walk down on Christmas Eve when it's quiet and everyone has gone home and then it gives you more of an idea of what it was like'.

Edit: and here's a video of Janet Street Porter interviewing John Lydon in 1978 as they walk around Covent Garden:

https://youtu.be/N35H-59QIbA

[thelakelander]

Since when aren't municipalities responsible for the public realm within their limits? That's one of the main reasons we have taxes.

Why should tax dollars be spent on a moribund area like the Landing?

COJ is spending $22 million in tax money there now. Way too much IMO for a vacant lot.

[Wombley Womberly]

COJ is spending $22 million in tax money there now. Way too much IMO for a vacant lot.[/quote]

Perhaps so.

Reducing crime and homelessness in the area would be a legitimate function of city government.

Demolishing an empty structure is the city's responsibility, isn't it?

[Wombley Womberly]

Probably from experience.

Probably?

Don't you know whether or not you frequented Covent Garden prior to 1980?

[Adam White]

Probably from experience.

Probably?

Don't you know whether or not you frequented Covent Garden prior to 1980?

I know I have lived in London for almost 13 years now and - since my mother's family moved here in the early 60s - that I have been visiting the city since the 70s.

I cannot say how or where I know the info, it's just that I do.

Is that answer good enough for you?

[Wombley Womberly]

I know I have lived in London for almost 13 years now and - since my mother's family moved here in the early 60s - that I have been visiting the city since the 70s.

Fascinating. Yet you post on a Jacksonville forum.

[thelakelander]

COJ is spending $22 million in tax money there now. Way too much IMO for a vacant lot.

Perhaps so.

Reducing crime and homelessness in the area would be a legitimate function of city government.

Demolishing an empty structure is the city's responsibility, isn't it?

No, it's not the city's responsibility to buy occupied buildings for an inflated price, evict the tenants and raze the buildings with no idea of what to do next. If so, we have several vacant strip mall owners all over town that would be more than happy to sell and swim Scrooge McDuck style in their profits off the back of taxpayers.

[Adam White]

I know I have lived in London for almost 13 years now and - since my mother's family moved here in the early 60s - that I have been visiting the city since the 70s.

Fascinating. Yet you post on a Jacksonville forum.

I'm from Jacksonville (well, I moved there at the age of seven and didn't leave for good until I was 34). I always assumed I would move back at some point and I might. Who knows. I like to keep an oar in the water in any event. And I always like to know what's going on in my hometown. I think you'll find a number of contributors to this forum are from Jax and live elsewhere.

You can keep having a go at me if you want. It doesn't change the fact that I am correct.

[Wombley Womberly]

I'm from Jacksonville (well, I moved there at the age of seven and didn't leave for good until I was 34). I always assumed I would move back at some point and I might. Who knows. I like to keep an oar in the water in any event. And I always like to know what's going on in my hometown. I think you'll find a number of contributors to this forum are from Jax and live elsewhere. You can keep having a go at me if you want. It doesn't change the fact that I am correct.

Is that right? 

[Wombley Womberly]

No, it's not the city's responsibility to buy occupied buildings for an inflated price, evict the tenants and raze the buildings with no idea of what to do next. If so, we have several vacant strip mall owners all over town that would be more than happy to sell and swim Scrooge McDuck style in their profits off the back of taxpayers.[/quote]

I've been reading TripAdvisor reviews of the Landing. It seems to me the place should have been shut down and razed long ago. in the interest of public safety.

Maybe the city should focus it's redevelopment efforts on crime prevention and mitigating the homeless issue.