Why Wait? Goddard's Park here we come!

The city continues to reap a harvest off the old courthouse property since by contract Kroger still owns it.  The contract included a requirement for Kroger to tear down the old building, which many of us in the Tri Cities can see has been done.

But what to do with the property is another thing altogether.  While Kroger is on record saying that they had a bit of an economic downturn that caused them to change their growth plans, one has to think that the site’s location, right next to the city’s immaculate round-about, may have played into it a bit.

Their lot exit onto south Temple Avenue may not have been as clean as it looked when they first envisioned the property.  And, of course, Publix has pulled some of the higher-end shoppers that used to frequent Martin’s and before that UKrops.  Add to that, the growth at Aldi’s and you really have to wonder what really drove the decision to drop Kroger’s planned expansion.

So, that leaves us with the big question of what can we expect to fill the property.  Right now, the city is collecting taxes and has little need or desire to market it.  In fact, it’s in the best interest of Kroger to market the property, and, I believe, the city has a right to nix the deal if they are not in favor of the “new” owner.  I mean, God forbid we end up with a Priscilla’s factory outlet.

The argument for Goddard’s Park at the Roundabout

So back to the roundabout.  To be honest, it seems to be working.  I drive it at least twice a day, mostly from the South Bound Temple Avenue entrance/exit to south I 95.  Most of the time, I have no problems. I’m an early driver and there is very little traffic. On occasion, someone heading south on Temple attempts to cut across in front of me when I am trying to go south on I 95, but it is rare, and becoming even more rare.  Let’s say people are getting use to how the roundabout works.

The one thing no one is really talking about is what to name the park that is in the middle of the roundabout.  It screams for some kind of marker and of course a name.  Since it owes its life to the Goddard Family, I think we ought to name it Goddard Park.  And, since it also owes its existence to the demise of Goddard’s Dairy Farm, maybe we can put in a statue of a Holstein and a heffer (two cows), or maybe just put up a miniature silo?

On a more serious note, perhaps we can put up a marker to commemorate all those Colonial Heights people who have given their all to the country.  We don’t need something as large as Arlington, nor as expansive as the Vietnam War Memorial, but it surely calls for some kind of display.  Just look at what Hopewell is doing with money donated by the Cameron Foundation on the Route 10 entry to their city.

Using Foundation funds on a 50-50 match designed to beautify an entrance to the city, Hopewell has opted to erect a huge capital H, resplendent in silver, to let people know they are entering Hopewell.  Hopewell, the city with two recent state champion football teams.  Of course, we in the Heights did win a Volleyball state championship just a few scant years ago, so maybe we should put up a volleyball net and then invite the homeless and others in the community to come and get a little extra exercise.  

Well, however it goes, it still ought to be named Goddard Park.