Lance Johnson’s and Holli Joyce’s comments in support of a closed-off mall downtown strike a special chord with me. In urban renewal days, in the 1970s, when HUD money was spent prolifically on pedestrian malls, there was a rash of such projects built that had dire results.

I had a business in Parsons one block west of the Parsons Mall. The main business street was closed to traffic and what once sounded so good became a disaster for merchants who depended on front-door traffic and exposure. Their store traffic diminished greatly and, in some cases, stores went out of business because of this. Coffeyville and Atchison were other cities with similar results.

Once such malls are constructed, it is very difficult to remove them. It took a tornado to finally get rid of the Parsons Mall, and it was not rebuilt. Parsons is now rejuvenated with the main street opened to traffic.

So be wary and study well what has happened in other cities. It may be that Lawrence is different with its mix of bars, restaurants and retail. However, caveat emptor, buyer beware.