Big downtown Beloit improvement du jour?

The community of Beloit continues to invest in its downtown.

It seems that for the few years we’ve been in town every few months there is something significant taking place in the ongoing revitalization of Beloit’s downtown. Improved riverfront (taking up parking deck and adding a canoe/kayak launch & too many additional things to mention), an expanding farmer’s market that is among the very best in state, additional live music venues (Suds), unveiling of historic downtown facades (Bagels & More), adaptive reuse of historic structures (Hendricks Arts Center in the old Post Office > Library… to name just one of several), new transit center, new merchants moving in, (Paddle & Trail being the latest), downtown festivals gaining national attention (BIFF). There a several more I could list but you get the point.

The transformation of Beloit’s downtown is dramatic and ongoing.

Big downtown Beloit improvement du jour?

As the locals know… the new downtown road reconstruction… including pavers, pavilion and, well a host of other improvements too.

 

Like most I’ve spoken with this will be a significant improvement to our downtown. And while the reconstruction will be relatively quick for a project of this scale the downtown merchants will likely take a temporary hit. As residents of Beloits historic district and the nearest neighbors to downtown our neighborhood and downtown are especially co-dependent. I would propose that we benefit more directly than many by having a vital and thriving downtown. Conversely, I’d add that downtown benefits by having a vital and thriving residential historic district near by.

All the same, I would encourage everyone and historic district neighbors in particular to keep coming downtown through this transition. There’s back door parking and access as you know.

I look forward to seeing you downtown, as per usual.

Oh, the pic at the top of the page?
There’s been some comment and curiosity about the road crew having rediscovered the light rail railroad ties burried beneath the pavement. The “before” pic is from the cover of the booklet handed out at the opening of the new transit building. Cool huh?

Inefficient fireplace? Yeah, we love ours too.

And I’d no more “improve” it with a “high efficiency” fireplace conversion kit then I would trade in a little red, two-seater convertible for taking the city bus or go out for dinner and pass on the Prime Rib followed by New York Cheesecake for microbiotic legumes and tofu.

We don’t use our fireplace often. It’s for times like today when we want to relax, treat ourselves a little and cozy up to our wood burning fireplace. It’s primary purpose is not to heat the house. We have a furnace in the basement for that. We’ve added insulation in the attic, put up storm windows and caulked, our thermostat is on a timer. We’ve done many of the normal things to economize and maximize home energy efficiency.

When we were shopping homes to buy and found our current home had a beautiful fireplace it was the aesthetic, intangibles and character that it added which made the home considerably more attractive (and likely a bit more expensive) to us than a home without a natural wood-burning fireplace. It’s a fine old home with character, not a log cabin dependent on the fireplace for home heating.

Now every old house homeowner has an in-law, coworker or someone in their life that simply does not understand. They think you’re crazy and old houses incomprehensible. And there are even old house homeowners who themselves look at a natural wood burning fireplace and begin to salivate at the opportunity to “improve” it by retrofitting a “high-efficiency” fireplace insert. How much smarter they are. How much more economical their solution is. Just think of all the money they’ll save.

We all have different area of interest and opinion be it in sports, film, local politics, education, religion, the arts… You look around and are puzzled that folks are missing the point. They clearly don’t get it. I must admit that I don’t get “upgrading” a wood burning fireplace with an insert. Even if  the fireplace has become unsafe due to deferred maintenance is not repair a viable option?

We just spent a wonderful lazy Sunday afternoon enjoying the minor ritual of getting the fire going and maintaining it, the hypnotizing aesthetic and uninterrupted view of the fire itself, the spit and crackle of our homes original, natural wood burning fireplace. We put our feed up, enjoyed a favorite drink, each others close company and the inefficiency of it all. This is why we have a fireplace.

Later we’ll let it die out and our workhorse home furnace will continue with it’s intended purpose.  And tomorrow I think I’ll start looking for top rated utilitarian vacation spots…. NOT.