Gloversville Development Plan Leaves Me With Mixed Emotions
As I scrolled through my news feed this evening I came across a post from the Mayor of my hometown, Gloversville N.Y. He was excited to share a video that highlighted Gloversville's new development plan for downtown and surrounding areas. I could.t wait to check it out!
I watched the video and I truly do LOVE that there are plans, and people are working hard to revitalize what was once a truly pretty good place to grow up. I think most of the ideas in the video are great and it really does give you a sense that things will get better. I truly want to commend everyone who is involved and those who will not give up on this town. I also thought as I watched the video that there was something missing, jobs. In fairness this is a downtown town development project not necessarily a jobs or economic development project. It may however make some wonder will some trees and the remodeling of a few buildings really make a difference? Perhaps, it may turn out to be the change the community needs to grow. Will it give the people a renewed pride and sense of community? I hope so. I also wondered as I saw plans for new housing and "luxury apartments", who will be living in these new places? Are people trying to move to town? Maybe with these ideas and others that follow they will. I know if the work force involved in these projects is completely local that sure will help, a lot. The bottom line is, I do LOVE that there are still people trying, and who will not give up on Gloversville and I wish you much success.
I encourage you to watch the video yourself and let me know what you think. Do you have some ideas as well, please share them, you never know who may get inspiration from it.
We all know that Gloversville has seen much better days, even when I was a child there was still a whole lot to feel good about growing up in the foothills of the Adirondacks. I was glad to have spent a good portion of my childhood there and still have love for my hometown. The teachers were great, you still felt safe walking around town, the lake and mountains were minutes away, and there truly was a good sense of community still in play. Still the town was already becoming a place that was deteriorating, good jobs were hard to come by and many people were looking to leave.
These days things are not even as good as they were 20 years ago, there are drugs, crime , poverty, dilapidated buildings and not the same sense of community pride. I know I am not alone when I say that over these years I have tried so hard to think of a solution to this town's woes, and the answer always seems to come back to jobs. Gloversville needs to find jobs that can truly support a population that I believe really does want to return to the great days of a growing small town. I have often thought that tourism is at least a viable solution. Perhaps creating a place for families from downstate to come and spend wild amounts of money with a real amusement park, camping, boating hotel combination.
I don't have any answers and if you do , I would love to hear them, after all there are no bad ideas right? The bottom line to me though is jobs, jobs in some sort of sustainable industry. If not, is everything we do window dressing on a broken window in an old abandoned leather mill. I would hope not but that is what it all comes down to, hope.
Clearly there are many who have it and maybe it's about to grow and with that our hometown with it.