Good morning,

It was actually good to see demonstrators on hand at the opening of the new downtown parking garage in Wilmington earlier this week.

Members of the group that wants to see a return to the DART bus hub on Rodney Square.

The schedule change from the state transit agency created problems, with a bus hub near the Wilmington Train Station a ways from becoming a reality.

It is clear that a number of city  DART riders have issues that make walking even moderate distances difficult. These matters must be addressed.

On the negative side of the ledger, the rhetoric of this group is steeped in charges of racial bias and ignores the fact that the sometimes chaotic diesel fume-filled hub was hampering efforts to bring badly needed jobs to downtown.

Downtown has a good chance to thrive again, thanks to upwards of $1 billion in investments that include the new garage and apartment complex.

Jobs will come, not only from corporate positions but also from entry level jobs that are essential for getting to that first rung on the ladder.

While the group clearly wanted to embarrass the city and the developer Buccini/Pollin Group,  their presence was actually a positive sign.

A big problem in downtown has been apathy among city residents as well as haphazard decision-making in the past from the city and DART.

The presence of the rider group is also a reminder that redevelopment in downtown will require involvement from all constituencies. This also requires a willingness to move forward with the understanding that continued investment in downtown is essential to its survival, even if conditions are far from perfect.  

Here’s hoping the winds are calm and winter will go away by May. – Doug Rainey, publisher.