The introduction of Omni Development Co.'s plan for the downtown Albany convention center site, which has been functionally abandoned by the mayor and the commission these last four years, is a breath of fresh air ("An idea resurfaces for stalled project," June 19).
I can see good ideas coming together to form a vision that is much improved. But, in my opinion as an amateur urbanist, the vision is not quite there.
To build off of Charles Touhey's letter ("Make downtown community again," June 20), housing and space for services and local business needs to be included. A bakery, a wine store and services are needed to make downtown a livable place. Multiuse development, something that has been piecemeal in the area, means getting as much there as possible to ensure people are not only there at different times of day but there are different types of people as well. Families for the museum and an IMAX-type theater or businesses for a convention center aren't enough.
The proposals thus far have been something for people outside of Albany to visit. When is something going to be built for the people already here? Why has there been no public competition to design the site?
To transform downtown, it takes more than a hunk of land and one big idea.
Daniel Plaat
Albany