happycamper...I may be wrong but I don't believe they hold the half-marathon any more. I think the last one was in 2007. Do they have any 5k/10k runs in Janesville any more?

What about some more bicycle tours like the Pie Ride? We could hold one around early June and have locally owned businesses and attractions be spotlighted along the ride's route. After the ride is finished, there could be a celebration at one of our beautiful parks. We could even make an entire weeklong ordeal out of it, with a half marathon, bike ride, food tents from local restaurants, historical society booth, etc.

As a runner I've wondered why we cannot have a run that shows off our downtown, river and farmers market. The Janesville half marathon, which runs the country side, would be perfect for downtown, Palmer park to Rockport park.

The owners of the newer buildings might have had visions, but unless you have a planners nothing will come together. By using modern methods it is possible to incorporate needed access and alike into historic buildings.
If you believe in a modern approach, then maybe planners need to sit at the table with large retail chains to consider using the downtowns.
Build a circuit out of town for those who are interested, and sponsor it with auto supply stores, tire shops and alike.

My favorite downtown past and present pics: Library, JPAC, Monty at the old armory Historical Society, new armory food and ambience (not the prices), Senior Center (great activities), all the locally owned restaurants, Woman's Club, Boys & Girls club/ YMCA, OLDE TOWNE MALL, court yard park concerts and the Labor Day Parade....love JNSVL fife and drum. I also love the farmers market...Theresa... you go girl!

Oh yeah and my favorite up and coming downtown attraction that new children's museum......you know that place that has yet to be built...is that ever gonna happen? I donated money for that...can I get that back so I can redirect that to a local charity or American Red Cross?

The owners of the newer buildings might have envisioned the gradual razing of the older buildings, leaving a unified modernistic theme in downtown Janesville, punctuated by open space left as the old buildings are removed. I think a good deal of the downtown infrastructure is due for replacement/overhaul and many of the buildings are too far gone for inexpensive renovation.

It's an undisputed fact that our local population is getting fatter and older. Even if you grant the old building owners exemption from meeting laws requiring handicapped access, many of those old building basements and upper floors don't have elevator/escalator access. Without expensive renovation to add that, they won't get as much rent out of the other floors as they used to.

Bringing the circuit back downtown makes a lot of sense. The historic course is compact and near the police station for policing concerns. Few businesses, other than bars, are open to be disturbed on weekend nights. It would allow Milton Avenue traffic lights to be synchronized for shoppers instead of desynchronized to impede circuit-riders.

Closing Main Street to through traffic would be a mistake. Milwaukee Street and Court Street help reduce traffic pressure on Centerway Street. Main Street itself is a nice route to take for drivers going from the northeast side of town to get to Prairie Avenue, using Milwaukee Street on the outbound trip, and Court Street on the return leg of the trip.

The two new banks downtown (Johnson and M&I) are really fairly handsome. As for Chase (aka First National/Bank One), who knows what they were trying to do in encasing the historic bank building in that prefab paneling. The ugly buildings I'd like to see razed (or encased in prefab paneling!) are the old WP&L, the furniture store with the fluorescent green roof, the "Pizza Hut" bank building, the old Leath furniture, and the bizarre experiment in architectural massing called the YMCA.
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Anyway, the event that we should consider for the Janesville Mile is a bike and pedestrian fair, like Ride the Drive in Madison (an increasingly popular event in many cities). Block off the entire street from Racine to Centerway and make it a street fair, with businesses not on Main able to set up kiosks. Let people browse the offerings and find out what is downtown that they don't know about. Get some out of town visitors an excuse to see Janesville.

The Riverside (Pancake House) great for breakfast. Good daily specials, great staff.

If you like the Janesville Mile, you'd love Growing up in Janesville on facebook. Boy, talk about a walk down memory lane! Give it a shot, it is soooo neat!

I've always loved the look of downtown. The great architecture and just the feel of it. But I agree with Mouse, the all glass bank and the new courthouse, kinda throw it off.

What ever happened to the great ideas for many downtown projects.
Not only Janesville, but many towns suffer from retail sprawl.
Some downtowns look inviting and are well maintained, but others just fall apart.
Modern structures like banks destroying the character of downtowns, only to build again out of the towns.
Seems the big well paid planners keep no direction on style or materials.
Milton Avenue alone has it's share of steel sided retail sheds, looking more industrial than like inviting retail.
City planners don't need to take expensive plane rides to see towns within 75 miles who have good ideas.
It would be nice to see the downtown thrive with retail.

Beeferer, the trick is to NOT SLOW DOWN!

I can never make it past the Metro Market Deli without stopping in. I don't know how you do it Steve?

Same thing I said on Facebook: This is fantastic. Something that those of us that live on "that side of town" are already very much aware of, and visit on a regular basis. All the class, culture, and Janesville at it's finest!! Janesville Mile. Great concept. (I sound like a movie review. ; )

The view from the 3rd floor windows of the apartment above 50 S. Main Street was beautiful.