Quote:
Originally Posted by Prestige Worldwide
I somewhat agree. Visibility can help. In the long run, it would be great if we could bring Central Ave. down to ground level instead of skying over the park, creating a seedy underbelly, but that would require 'real' money. sigh.
Better visibility still doesn't address the library, directly adjacent to the park, which is a big magnet, and nothing can really be done about it. The library cannot and really should not turn people away because they are homeless. Things are crappy enough for the homeless, the library is a good indoor and free resource for these folks and they are always going to be next to a public park, where it is also difficult to exclude them from. Homeless feeling like they are intentionally driven (or encouraged to be diverted) from the area would become a powder keg for certain city policymakers who are trying to show compassion for the homeless. This is another one of Downtown's gordian knots.
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I don't know much about the laws in this city regarding the homeless and where they can and cannot congregate, like NYC has, but is it out of the question to create policy here? Central Park isn't crawling with homeless people and if this is going to be Phoenix's Central Park then can't the city do a better job with enforcement? You would think with all the money they are putting in to it there has to be someone talking about how to deal with this. Maybe the months of construction and activity down there will force them to find a new area. If it isn't addressed, it ends up becoming uncontrollable, like it is in the Tenderloin in San Fran.