To the editor:

As a 40-year resident and homeowner in Crestwood, I was hoping the redevelopment of the old Crestwood Plaza property would give the city something unique — something that would draw interest and support from surrounding communities.

The proposal before us from UrbanStreet Group is, unfortunately, just a large strip mall with a multiplex theater.

Why would anyone from our neighboring municipalities drive across town to shop or dine or see a movie in Crestwood when they have all of that in their own community?

And without support from surrounding communities will Crestwood residents alone provide enough traffic for the new Crestwood Court, or will its businesses fail as businesses did at Crestwood Plaza?

For the Crestwood Court development to be successful, we need something unique that will attract people from surrounding communities.

I would start with an ice-skating rink built in the area now designated as parking.

The rink would be covered by a permanent open-sided tent. The tent design would provide a festival vibe and allow scheduling activities with some protection from the weather.

During spring, summer and fall months we could cover the skating rink surface and repurpose the space as a miniature golf course, or a concert venue for local bands, or an arts-and-crafts fair venue, or for a Taste of South County food event, or — the possibilities are almost endless.

These uses for the under-tent space like miniature golf and the concert bandstand could be contrived of modular elements that could be changed throughout the non-ice-skating months. We could sponsor an arts-and-crafts fair in the spring, play miniature golf in the summer, and in the fall have a concert series.

These are the types of family oriented activities that would contribute to the traffic needed to support Crestwood businesses at the court and beyond.

All of these uses of the tent could be managed by the Crestwood Department of Parks and Recreation.

We need to be more creative with our use of the old Crestwood Plaza property if the new development is to succeed.

Crestwood Court, featuring the “Crestwood Tent,” could become our town square, the symbol of a revitalized Crestwood and a south county destination.

Dale Taylor

Crestwood