GLENDALE : Most Residents Say Downtown Is a Bore

While 80% of Glendale residents consider life in their city “excellent,” “good” or “very good,” only a few say they find interesting things to do downtown in the evenings and on weekends.

Those are some of the results of a recent survey of 2,178 Glendale residents conducted by the city and Glendale Partners, a group of prominent business people.

Despite several new entertainment draws downtown, including live theater, coffeehouses and even a trendy nightclub, many people still consider Brand Boulevard a big bore.

Still, officials say they are pleased with the results of the survey, which asked residents for their opinion on the past and future of the downtown area. The responses will be incorporated into a forthcoming “strategic plan” that will be used as a blueprint for future growth.

“One of the things the survey showed us was that despite some significant negative changes in the economy, attitudes toward Glendale have remained pretty positive,” said Glendale Mayor Eileen Givens.

According to the survey, about 41% of residents want to see the downtown continue to develop at its current pace, 38% want it to slow down and 21% want it to stop.

Also, 32% said there should be more parking downtown, 29% said more cinemas, entertainment venues and nightclubs are needed, 25% said more police are needed to keep the area safe, and 20% said the area needs to be kept cleaner.

Questionnaires were distributed at a series of “town hall” public meetings on the future of downtown Glendale, which began in February.

The survey is part of a $350,000 project by the Glendale Redevelopment Agency and the Glendale Partners to create a communitywide consensus on the direction for the future building in downtown Glendale.

The Glendale Partners, an elite business group, has kicked in $125,000 and hired Alex Cooper, a New York urban planner, to oversee the study.

The strategic plan will probably be presented to the City Council by September, Givens said. A public discussion of the plan will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Nestle Building, 800 N. Brand Blvd.