Rob, I'm not sure what you mean about City Hall. It is downtown. Regarding attracting businesses, there are property owners and businesses (so I've been told) that are ready to move to a Fulton Street as soon as it's greenlit. The data from other cities suggests removing the pedestrian malls will be a good move economically. Anecdotal evidence from local business owners suggests the same. One of the problems with your suggestion of giant tax breaks and city-funded renovations is that there's no money for that, at all (the TIGER grant that funds restoring traffic can only be used for that purpose). Downtown should contribute to the city's tax revenue, not drain it (as it does currently). The Fulton Street solution is the most economical solution, in my opinion.