Downtown talk dominates Batavia forum
Ideas for improving downtown Batavia were plentiful Tuesday morning as city council candidates shared their visions at an Eggs & Issues event in the city council’s chambers.
All three candidates vying for the open seat in the 4th Ward – Susan Stark, Edward Tousana and Jamie Saam – were in attendance. They were joined by two candidates who are running unopposed – Janet Jungels of the 3rd Ward and Lucy Thelin Atac of the 5th Ward.
Election Day is April 5.
Questions about the downtown dominated the discussion. The candidates agreed that the area needed to be improved, but their ideas varied.
Stark favors mixed-use development, suggesting that the area would become more enticing to businesses if more people lived downtown. Tousana aims to create more pedestrian traffic and favors “sidewalk businesses.” Saam seeks to welcome community-oriented small businesses with established clientele.
And on those issues, there was agreement among the candidates. Stark, too, seeks to attract established businesses, and Saam would support condo space in the downtown area.
Ultimately, though, the candidates agreed that the key was to make the area a destination.
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