Reading of shortfalls at The Falls at Crackerneck Creek, I am reminded of another story several decades ago which also involved lots of public money and water. It was a program called “Urban Renewal” and its target was the Historic Independence Square. Streets were rerouted, entire blocks of historic buildings were clear cut leaving only bare asphalt with no landscaping, and concrete barrier walls were added to fortify the courthouse grounds. It was projected by the experts that wiping the slate clean and creating something new and not-so-authentic was necessary to attract businesses and new generations of shoppers. And as they did at Crackerneck Creek, extra water was pumped into the area to supply a new fountain smack dab in the middle of Main Street and to a new area on the southeast corner of the rerouted Noland Road to simulate what used to be an active spring. A log cabin was uncovered during the road relocation process. It was dismantled and reconstructed to appear as a historic setting of the city’s public spring and today we call it “Pioneer Spring” at the Sermon Center. The actual site of the historic public spring was to the west, located in the path of progress. City water had to be piped in to the faux spring to make it appear as an active spring to visiting tourists. Unfortunately, the syndicated commentator, Paul Harvey, exposed the scam decades ago in his nationally broadcasted radio program called “The Rest of the Story.” The water was eventually turned off. Practically everything that was built in the name of Urban Renewal has since been removed (requiring even further public investments). Was Urban Renewal in Independence considered a success? Have we been successful in maintaining “Pioneer Spring”? Are we learning from past history? Just image, if we as a community would have spent only half the money we invested in plans to create a false sense of place and invest that money in restoring those valuable assets that we already have.
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