Quote:
Originally Posted by poconoboy61
Honestly, no matter how Hance Park is redesigned, until the homeless and transients who are constantly loitering there are removed, it will not be a point of interest for most people. I know it sounds elitist, but most people are not going to feel safe walking around a place where a bunch of people are sprawled out all over, drinking, dealing drugs, sleeping while surrounded by their own litter, and just randomly yelling to no one in particular. I would love to get excited about upgrades to Hance, but between the transients and the large issue with tagging and vandalism in the area, it's hard to believe the any improvements that are done are going to have any bit of difference.
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pocono, I think you hit the primary issue with Hance Park's future. The Burton Barr Library, adjacent to the park, is also a big draw for the homeless as well. The park will never take off because of this nexus, no matter what the re-design yields. I think Central Phoenix folks can handle some homeless, it goes with the territory (and I live in a neighborhood where they pass through and have squatted in abandoned homes), but the congregation of homeless at the park and library is well beyond what most people will tolerate (this is also why 'The Pin' will not be constructed at Hance). I don't think there is any will to address this issue in the open, so I expect the status quo to continue for quite some time. You can't win them all, Downtown and Central Phoenix will have other bright spots.