Lucas Park Revisited 7.15.2007 | 0 Comment(s)

In my mind's eye, I see Lucas Park transformed into a space similar to NYC's Bryant Park. It could happen if the City and downtown residents made this park a priority. Maybe there are plans in place, I don't know, but this pocket of green that sits so perfectly next to the Shell Building and Main Library is just wasted and trashed. It appears as if everyone has given up and conceded that the homeless are going to continue to use and abuse the park.

Perhaps if the park was made more attractive to users, enough of them would patronize the park that you'd soon find more readers, chess players and lunch takers in the park than homeless? That's the way it was at Bryant Park. I saw my share of down and out, but there were also tons of everyday people enjoying the sunshine or a quick game of chess.

I realize it's not an apples to apples comparison, but Bryant Park seems to be a space that works, and Lucas Park seems to fit BP's model rather nicely. I guess the main problem is the homeless. Since they are most likely not going anywhere given the fact Larry Rice's slum house, that for some reason is still open and operational given its exterior conditions, is across the street, the problem becomes how to get the homeless to participate in the park's revival. Will they? I doubt it, but some of them might. So it's up to us and the City, do we have yet another space full of wasted potential within our limits, or do we do something with that potential?