Downtown West Point can be better utilized

Published 1:17 pm Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Downtown West Point is easily one of the most interesting areas in the Valley.

The area has transformed from a slowly dying block of buildings to a thriving district in under a decade, which is impressive under any criteria. The work is still ongoing.

Take a walk down one of the main streets in West Point, peek through some of the windows and you will see mostly active businesses, but a small number of the buildings are under some level of renovation.

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This goes to show the success the revitalization process has had.

But that’s just the ground level.

Many of the buildings in downtown West Point, like most downtown areas, have second and third stories. Considering the success the area has had recently, it would be a shame if one aspect of these buildings was not utilized.

To be sure, some of the upper units are being used. Travel through the area at night and you’ll see some lights on. West Point Mayor Steve Tramell even turned one second-level area into a series of impressively-sized apartments that mainly houses Point University students.

Still, a number of upper-tier units remain vacant and the possibilities for them are endless.

Just imagine what new businesses might pop up, if only the owner could find a spot available in a highly active area?

Who knows what the area would look like if there was more room for people interested in living next to their favorite eateries and shops?

West Point is a prime example of the success cities across the country have had in revitalizing downtown centers, but that success doesn’t mean they should stop. Instead everyone should push forward with even more.

The only thing that truly stops the wheel of progress is a lack of opportunity.