Intell editorial a love letter to the Gray re-election campaign

An Intelligencer Journal editorial entitled “The taste of success” appeared on August 31 which, perhaps due to the holiday, has not yet been posted at LancasterOnLine.com.

It rhapsodizes about alleged great downtown progress as follows:

“Years ago dining in downtown Lancaster was likely to conjure up images of leaden Pennsylvania Dutch food, sub shops and corner bars. The city’s visionaries salivated over Harrisburg’s ‘Restaurant Row,’ a long stretch of Second Street that was home to more than 30 eateries, bars and nightclubs.”…

We agree that Pennsylvania Dutch food is “leaden.” Who are these “salivating visionaries”? What is implied here?

“In 2007, when then-Senator Arlen Specter visited Lancaster and stayed for lunch, he tried to order a milkshake, and was shocked to discover there was no place in town to get one – a humiliating situation for the capital town of a national dairy heartland.

“That’s been fixed. You can get delicious homemade milkshakes and ice cream in half a dozen places in the city now. You can also get espresso (roasted on site), sushi and other delicious things that were unheard of within living memory…”

“The tireless entrepreneurship of the city’s restaurateurs is to thank for this. City government also paved the way, with wise moves such as changing its ordinance governing outdoor dining. And the convention center undoubtedly brought, as was predicted, a class of visitors who would consistently support quality restaurants.”

There is a national resurgence of downtown restaurants. Is there evidence that conventioneers patronize downtown restaurants or do most stay and eat at the Marriott?

For almost eight years the City has failed to come up with a solution to the center city eyesore of the derelict Lancaster Square East with its long empty Bulova Building, condemned as unsafe Brunswick Annex, and the virtually moribund Brunswick Hotel. If there are indeed “city visionaries”, Gray and City Planner Randy Patterson are not among them.

We all recall that following his election, Mayor Gray did a ‘right turn’ and fully supported the Convention Center.

Recently courageous (or fool-hearty if you prefer) County Commissioner Chair Scott Martin proposed an arrangement to avoid the Convention Center’s inevitable slide to ‘bankruptcy’. He called for mutual sacrifice by Penn Square Partners (of which the newspaper is 50% owner), the City, and the Center’s bond holder Wells – Fargo Bank. Both Penn Square Partners and Gray rejected the proposals out of hand. Gray’s position particularly raises eyebrows because so little was asked of the City and it was a prime beneficiary of the proposal.

As the financing was structured, the bond holders (now Wells-Fargo) have first claim on convention center revenue. This leaves inadequate funds for maintenance, future renovation, and promotion. All this bodes a drop in future business and ultimately either a massive county bail out or the bankruptcy court.

With most city residents registered Democrat, Republican candidate and former mayor Charlie Smithgall will have challenge enough winning over voters to his plans to return to progress. Whatever Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.’s obligations to Rick Gray, we urge that it remains neutral and allow the citizenry to determine who is the better candidate.