Published: October 03, 2008 10:39 pm      

BERNIE HORNICK | These dreams proved elusive

It seems that Wal-Mart will not be building a second store in our fair city after all.

That got me to thinking about what the region would be like had all the plans that had been considered, ruminated, floated, pondered, regarded, entertained, mulled and chewed over had come to pass.

(Only later were they cold-watered, rejected, disowned, red-haired stepchilded, negated, file-13’d, contravened, deep-sixed, circular-filed and just plain shot down.)

Sure, there’s plenty of progress here: Kongsberg jobs, the Stone Bridge lighting, Bedford Springs, the ATV park, a billion-dollar Hidden Valley buildup and the most stable housing sector in Pennsylvania.

I don’t want to be a Negative Ned. But we could have been a veritable Disney World North had all of the following “Eureka!’’ inspirations come true.

These visions have been run up the flagpole – then run right down again – just within the decade that I’ve proudly called Johnstown home:

• Somerset waterpark.

This one fell apart only recently after being in the works for months on end. I thought this was a natural: Indoors. Right on the turnpike.

Too bad.

• Casino barge.

The suggestion was to dam the Stonycreek River, then get a permit from the state for a barge-full of slot machines.

First, building a dam in the middle of downtown Johnstown might not be the best idea. Last time I checked, Johnstown’s nickname was the Flood City.

Second, Seven Springs was the natural spot for games of chance in the region. Oh, wait, Seven Springs practically was guaranteed a license before pulling its application of its own accord. Huh?

• Downtown entertainment complex.

A company was considering a multiplex movie house. It was to be the centerpiece of the Downtown Renaissance.

Remember that phrase?

It would have served as the anchor for a bowling alley, restaurants, coffeehouses, etc. that were sure to come.

Right.

• Maglev and the Diesel Multiple Unit.

The Maglev – magnetic levitation – train seemed a sure thing just a few short years ago.

After all, the bullet train company is headquartered in Pittsburgh. Plans advanced for a system from the Pittsburgh airport to downtown, then to Monroeville and Greensburg.

I think the Johnstown spur was just wishful thinking by local leaders. At best, it would have been 20 years off.

Then, system backers were, pardon the expression, railroaded by the federal government and the whole project was scrapped.

The one-car, $3 million diesel train, likewise, held the aspirations of those who wanted to see Johnstown as a bedroom town to Pittsburgh.

The car would have held 92 passengers.

It was, uh, derailed.

• Target in Kernville.

Another winner-of-an-idea that went nowhere. Why should West Hills residents have to drive six miles just to buy socks? Perhaps Tar-zhay was scared off by the Wal-Mart that was to come.

• Burning barrels.

This was to be a riverfront attraction, as I recall, based on what’s going on in downtown San Antonio or somewhere.

The idea was to give downtown a little atmosphere.

• Johnstown arch.

Congressman Murtha floated this one several years ago. It seems the arch would have spanned Napoleon Street by the War Memorial.

Personally, I thought it was a neat idea. If you’ve ever seen travelogues from California, many cities there have these metal arch “welcome mats.”

And the federal government would have footed the bill.

Letters to the Reader’s Forum – and presumably calls to Murtha’s office – put the kibosh on that one.

With the possible exception of the casino barge, the aforementioned projects seemed quite plausible. So don’t give up hope: Sometimes it just takes a little patience, a little stick-to-it-iveness.

• Route 219 in Somerset County. It was one of the only – if not the only – road construction projects in Pennsylvania to receive PennDOT money this go-around.

It only took a generation.



Next Saturday: Some flights of fancy that actually made it off the ground, at least for awhile.



Bernie Hornick is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat.