Sometimes, stepping back can give you perspective. Perspective: new thoughts about old subjects. And that is what I feel I have gained by living internationally- I am not only more critical of 'the way things are,' I am also more hopeful that things I don't like could change.
After all, how could England have become so different from the place my ancestors left? How could Florida belong to the Native Americans, then to the Spanish (the Floridians who fled to Cuba), then to Americans, all in a span of a couple hundred years? How could the US have changed so much since World War II? How is it possible that the poorest parts of Germany 150 years ago are now the richest parts in Germany, probably also in Europe (excluding Switzerland)? How could almost a whole culture of farming, which existed in Western Europe and America for a very, very long time, disappear in a span of about 50 years?
Two things seem true to me: change is certain and near but change comes in an unexpected form. Still, if we are not in charge of the changes in our world, then who is? (Excluding mother nature and a higher power, of course.) Perhaps the first step is to understand that things happen because we cause them to and not because "it's just the way things are." And, maybe the second step is to understand what we are doing in the first place.
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In a way, the distance allows you to really put your finger down on what is bothering you about where you grew up. I recently read an article about Titusville, Florida, where I grew up, published in the Florida Today, February 19th, written by Dave Berman titled, "Miracle City Mall Redevelopment Delayed a Year." After reading this article, which featured on the first page a picture of the new locally-initiated Arts Studio, I grew agitated. And I grew more agitated as I thought about the article's message: an economic recovery requires corporate investment in Titusville. Somebody decided this was true and the writer reported this. Maybe this belief is commonplace in Titusville.
But, publishing this idea, while featuring an picture of a local arts studio, which is not at all corporate, seemed misleading and dishonest.
After all, how could England have become so different from the place my ancestors left? How could Florida belong to the Native Americans, then to the Spanish (the Floridians who fled to Cuba), then to Americans, all in a span of a couple hundred years? How could the US have changed so much since World War II? How is it possible that the poorest parts of Germany 150 years ago are now the richest parts in Germany, probably also in Europe (excluding Switzerland)? How could almost a whole culture of farming, which existed in Western Europe and America for a very, very long time, disappear in a span of about 50 years?
Two things seem true to me: change is certain and near but change comes in an unexpected form. Still, if we are not in charge of the changes in our world, then who is? (Excluding mother nature and a higher power, of course.) Perhaps the first step is to understand that things happen because we cause them to and not because "it's just the way things are." And, maybe the second step is to understand what we are doing in the first place.
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In a way, the distance allows you to really put your finger down on what is bothering you about where you grew up. I recently read an article about Titusville, Florida, where I grew up, published in the Florida Today, February 19th, written by Dave Berman titled, "Miracle City Mall Redevelopment Delayed a Year." After reading this article, which featured on the first page a picture of the new locally-initiated Arts Studio, I grew agitated. And I grew more agitated as I thought about the article's message: an economic recovery requires corporate investment in Titusville. Somebody decided this was true and the writer reported this. Maybe this belief is commonplace in Titusville.
But, publishing this idea, while featuring an picture of a local arts studio, which is not at all corporate, seemed misleading and dishonest.
Thanks to my mom, below are pictures of the art studio featured on the cover of the article.
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| Art Studio where Firestone (Auto Shop) used to be, before going out of business or relocating elsewhere. |
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| Art takes over. |
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| Art Studio facade up close |
To pay to read the article out of archives and see the picture (about 8 dollars), you have to follow the following link. The article is called, "Miracle City Mall Redevelopment Delayed a Year." Here is the abstract,
The Miracle City project is one of the cornerstones for an economic
comeback for Titusville, which has been hit hard by declines in the real
estate market during the past several years, coupled with thousands of
layoffs related to the end of the space shuttle program last year.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/floridatoday/access/2589592551.html?FMT=ABS&date=Feb+19%2C+2012
Problem # 1:
Problem # 1:
I don't like how the owners say they want Miracle City Mall to become the heart of Titusville. The Art Studio is not representative of Miracle City Mall and the heart of Titusville is the historic district, where there has been
so much public and private investment and many new store openings.
There is a local street market in downtown Titsuville (the historic district) during the week and a Jazz-Night on Thursday evenings. All the yearly parades go through Main Street. From Main Street you can walk to the pier, where locals like to fish, windsail, swim, lounge, etc. or walk to the local parks, where locals often play baseball. The downtown and pier area is where Titusville goes to be itself.
My favorite bakery, Sunrise bakery, is located downtwon. It is full Monday through Saturday and is always a good place to see familiar places. The cafe has done wonders to the local vibe and "locavorism," just as so many cafe's are doing to downtown's all across the US. When I go there, I can also walk around the downtown's expensively manicured sidewalks and sit on a bench in the park, near the St. John's river. It's a place everybody likes. Beautiful, peaceful and special.
There is a local street market in downtown Titsuville (the historic district) during the week and a Jazz-Night on Thursday evenings. All the yearly parades go through Main Street. From Main Street you can walk to the pier, where locals like to fish, windsail, swim, lounge, etc. or walk to the local parks, where locals often play baseball. The downtown and pier area is where Titusville goes to be itself.
My favorite bakery, Sunrise bakery, is located downtwon. It is full Monday through Saturday and is always a good place to see familiar places. The cafe has done wonders to the local vibe and "locavorism," just as so many cafe's are doing to downtown's all across the US. When I go there, I can also walk around the downtown's expensively manicured sidewalks and sit on a bench in the park, near the St. John's river. It's a place everybody likes. Beautiful, peaceful and special.
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| The very beloved Sunrise Bakery, Titusville, Florida. |
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| Back side of Sunrise Bakery |
Above are pictures of Sunrise Bakery and the surrounding historic downtown district. Note, at the Garden St. I-95 exit, the "Titusville historic downtown" is advertised as a noteworthy historic and cultural gem. Nothing is mentioned about Miracle City Mall.
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| The back entrances to Main St. stores. 100 years ago, the building was home to a grand hotel and casino on this spot. |
It's decision to move to the central location of the historic downtown is, for many residents, an indication that the downtown can become more than just a caricature of the buzzing downtown it used to be. Other businesses benefit from the cafe's business. The employees at the cafe remain the same year after year, since as far back as I can remember, with no apparent "turnover", but many new faces. Too good to be true?
I even biked to the cafe once and was shocked to see other bikes locked up outside the cafe at the bike stand. Inside, I saw an old teacher of mine who told me that she would like to see Titusville add safe bike lanes everywhere because she and her husband want to make a bike ride to the bakery a part of their weekend routine (in the fall, winter and spring I assume). How wonderful is that? It's an urban planner's dream: residents, who want more alternative transportation infrastructure!
Main St. is looking so nice these days. There is something to be said about outdoor streets and shops in Florida, since sunshine is why everyone is there.
So, just because the owner of the mall, who lives in (!)Boca Raton(!), thinks Miracle City Mall should be the heart of Titusville, doesn't make it is so. Yeah, the mall used to thrive. I also don't like the look of empty stores, even in a mall. But, that doesn't make the mall the heart of Titusville.
The real heart of any town can't be owned by a single investor, let alone a non-resident.
Problem #2:
The art studio should really be the hit story: Titusville making lemonade out of lemons.
The mere mention of the art studio seems like a dirty trick by associating it with the mall's 'economic plans' in this article. The new locally-run and created art studio should NOT be the featured image and then lead into the story about the private mall owner's plans for corporate investment and redevelopment because- they two entities aren't related!! And, let me add: they don't really complement each other, in my opinion, other than sharing proximity.
And, the article kind of misunderstood the value of art by saying that art is good for the economy. That it might be, but that is usually not the artists' mindset, unless the artist is working in a tourism-marketing campaign.
I guess the thing the mall and the art studio have in common is, obviously, location and, less obviously, the potential indication of a Titusville renaissance. However, the mall renaissance would hardly be a renaissance becuase it means almost pure gain for the owner and non-Titusville corporations, who will take the profits out of Titusville. I say that because the article states that many chain stores and restaurants would open shop, and that would help make the redevelopment plan viable. How do more chain restaurants help Titusville, tell me? Is it helpful because more Titusvillians want to be waiters and waitresses? Seems unlikely.
To me, the idea of the art studio seems to say, "Hey Titusville, be who you are. Express what is special about you. Express what you are thinking, seeing, feeling. Take control of your town, of your politics, of your future."
The art studio is symbolic of a real renaissance. It doesn't do a lot for Titusville financially, but at least residents of Titusville came up with a solution to turn an ugly eyesore of a past corporate evacuation or relocation (Firestone's) into a place to be proud of. Titusville needs something to be proud of.
Corporations come and go. Quickly.
To me, the idea of the art studio seems to say, "Hey Titusville, be who you are. Express what is special about you. Express what you are thinking, seeing, feeling. Take control of your town, of your politics, of your future."
The art studio is symbolic of a real renaissance. It doesn't do a lot for Titusville financially, but at least residents of Titusville came up with a solution to turn an ugly eyesore of a past corporate evacuation or relocation (Firestone's) into a place to be proud of. Titusville needs something to be proud of.
Corporations come and go. Quickly.
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To me, I feel that the real value of the art studio is that it inspires and supports a unique Titusville 'placeness'. If the article wanted to comment about a potential renaissance in Titusville, they could have researched how art helped transform numerous cities into hopeful, thriving citiies. By inspiring its residents to create art out of the built environment, (like the Philadelphia Art Works, for example) from which the entire city benefits. Murals replaced destructive graffiti. Looking at the murals, you can see that there is something special about Philadelphia.
And, think about Detroit's art movement and the development of urban agriculture there. Art may not be responsible for the change in thinking, but it occurred at the same time.
Art helps lift spirits and shows local pride. I'm no artist myself, but this is my favorite kind of art. Can't you just feel the hope, the honesty, the pride and strength in the murals featured in the following links?
And, think about Detroit's art movement and the development of urban agriculture there. Art may not be responsible for the change in thinking, but it occurred at the same time.
Art helps lift spirits and shows local pride. I'm no artist myself, but this is my favorite kind of art. Can't you just feel the hope, the honesty, the pride and strength in the murals featured in the following links?
Who knows what kind of positive- economic, educational, spiritual- benefits and spinoffs are possible from such an artistic endeavor.
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My next point may not be very popular.
I am really into this idea that "economical success' needs to keep in mind whether the investors or store owners live in the town and whether businesses help create more businesses and entrepreneurship, not just giving everybody a job and thereby taking away their ability to be their own boss. I mean, I guess not everyone can be their own boss- bosses need workers, after all. But more small businesses mean a higher owner/worker ratio. Given two towns with the same economic productivity, where would you rather live? If you could do the work you do now, but employ yourself, would you want to?
Sorry, let me sum up: it sounds to me like the author is selling a point- that an economic recovery requires outside corporate investment in Titusville. Maybe he didn't realize what he was saying at all... because this kind of thinking is commonplace. I have nothing against successful companies going corporate and opening chains. I just don't think it should hurt smaller business.
And that is the worst part: a town is really beat if they keep looking elsewhere for help. Can't a city with a population of 43,000, like Titusville, have it's own merchants? If you're an economist or like economics, fill me in.
Wouldn't it be much healthier and better in the long run if residents, aka Titusvillians, worked toward making their town and communities their own and supported each others' businesses? Because, we need the profits at home these days. Yes, we do. Everyone in Titusville knows it. I'm not saying, cut the rest of the world off. I'm just saying, Titusville is more than a market opportunity for outside investors.
To do this, residents have got to free themselves from believing that a corporation will save them. These days, you have to save yourself.
Because I am a little homesick and want to show off how special Titusville is, I've included some pictures below of the historic district, aka downtown Titusville.
St Gabriel's Episcopal Church was built in 1887 in Captenter Gothic Style and is on the US National Register of Historic Places.
The Pritchard House is also the US National Register for Historic Places. According to the house's website,
"The Pritchard House is an outstanding example of the Queen Anne architecture, a distinctly American form that was popular from approximately 1876-1910. The house appears today much like it did when it was built in 1891."
To do this, residents have got to free themselves from believing that a corporation will save them. These days, you have to save yourself.
Because I am a little homesick and want to show off how special Titusville is, I've included some pictures below of the historic district, aka downtown Titusville.
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| Titusville Parrish Theater |
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| St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church |
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| Not sure what this was originally. Note Spanish revival architecture. |
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| Also Spanish Revival |
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| Historic Brevard County Court House |
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| Pritchard House |
"The Pritchard House is an outstanding example of the Queen Anne architecture, a distinctly American form that was popular from approximately 1876-1910. The house appears today much like it did when it was built in 1891."
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| Pedestrian Walk in Downtown Titusville |
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| Historic buildings on Main St. |
To me, Main St. is interesting because it is pretty much the only place in town with traditional style- row houses on both sides of the street. So, when you are on Main St. for a couple of yards you feel like you are really in a "town" in the traditional sense. (You can visit Main St. and the architecture just feels good. In the book Suburban Nation by Andres Duany, he talks about how pedestrians feel more comfortable on streets where the buildings are higher than the street is wide because of the psychological effect it produces of feeling protected in a human habitat. It is called "people sizing," as in, the size of buildings and entrances, sidewalks and streets are designed to be viewed by an actual standing person.
How else could you view a building, you ask? You could view a building as a whirr from your car or train window. Hence, big billboards. The next time you are driving or walking around, ask yourself whether the advertising on the buildings and the entrances, fronts, etc. are intended to be appreciated by car or by foot. Downtown Titusville still has this pedestrian feeling due to the buildings, even though more cars speed by than people on foot. )
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| Mom on Main St. |
Me, I am sincerely optimistic about Titusville's future. May it be what it almost is. Only those long-term residents in Titusville know what that is.
