It would be wonderful to see the Vistula neighborhood restored to a mixed-income residential neighborhood. This is not the first attempt at reviving what is unquestionably Toledo’s most rundown census tract. Previous efforts fell flat or were marginally successful. An argument must be made that resources should be concentrated on existing projects before we are distracted by another attempt at reviving Vistula.
Toledo has a problem with “development attention span.” The Warehouse District has been a success but is not completed. The Historic South End, once street improvements to the Broadway Corridor are completed, is in the early stages of recovery. The Uptown Area has seen mixed success. The Museum-Monroe Street corridor is already in the planning phases. Let’s not forget the biggest hole in the heart of the city, Westgate, and the Colony area redevelopment.
All of this is taking place in a metro area that is not growing, either in population or jobs. Our political leadership, civil servants, and the community in general, do not have the depth of human and financial resources to make certain that all these projects end in success.