Lights out on Sixth Street

Update: From a reader...

Thought you should know street lamps were blazing at 11 a.m. all the way from 600 block of Sixth to Main. Maybe some city person read the RacinePost this morning because they were dark at 6 a.m. when I get up. I did not hear back from Public Works though I asked them to acknowledge having received my email.

I hope the lights will be on Sixth and Seventh when it's DARK tonight. Will email you if not.

Times are tough on Downtown's Sixth Street. Mick Burke at The Journal Times wrote a good (and sad) piece on how successful businesses were struggling just a few weeks into the reconstruction project. Business owners seem upset that little is being done to help would-be customers overcome the hassle of a construction zone. Parking is limited, walkways are difficult and even lighting is an issue.

We got this email from a concerned Sixth Street occupant:

For the past three nights the overhead street lamps have been out on both Sixth and Seventh Street from the 600 block to what looks like College or Wisconsin. It is totally black and when I came home last night I was rather nervous. I emailed public works to inform them and to also ask if this has anything to do with the construction and whether the police were patrolling by foot because there are residents here and storefronts etc.

Pete scoped out the lighting situation on Sixth Street Tuesday night. It's pretty bleak:






I remember when Main Street was rebuilt. Business was down, but there was a lot of energy surrounding the excitement of the project. This hasn't carried over to the Sixth Street project, which is unfortunate for some great businesses. Sticky Rice is already moving, and there are rumors of other Sixth Street businesses closing. Let's hope the city and DRC can work out something, and fast, to keep these stores and restaurants going.