Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 996 Why don't you give it a try?

Mayor Mi said, "But cities eventually need to develop and modernize. With more and more people and cars, this style is hard to adapt to."

Xiao Wei said, "I'm just being presumptuous, but please don't take it personally, leaders. If I'm wrong, just think of it as a child farting." All the leaders laughed, and Mayor Mi raised his hand and slapped Xiao Wei on the head.

Xiao Wei said, "Historically speaking, Xidu is a large memorial, although the memorial itself isn't very glorious. But I think it's still very meaningful to preserve it, just like the Puppet Palace. This city is actually a huge Puppet Palace."

The main buildings of the Japanese army back then stretched along a central axis from the train station to Nanhu Lake, right? I saw that the parks here are also arranged along this central axis. So why not focus on the parks and these old buildings, and turn Renmin Avenue into an authentic old town? Then modernize and upgrade the area outside of this zone.

Chen Hui said, "I remember my dad saying that this area used to be full of trees, and the whole city was full of flowers and trees, which is why it's called the Spring City. I think what Xiaowei said is right: restoring this area along the city's central axis to its original state, building a real Imperial Garden over the Imperial Garden area, and using parks as boundaries on both sides to create such a central area would definitely be beautiful."

Xiao Wei said, "Yes, back then the city center was just a big park, and the commercial area was inside the park, then it was developed outwards. Residents also moved to the edges as much as possible. In the middle were businesses, hospitals, schools, parks, and historical sites. What did the leaders think?"

Secretary Wang thought for a moment and said, "It's not easy, more than ten square kilometers."

Xiao Wei said, "It's not like it'll all be built at once. We can start from Renmin Avenue and gradually expand to both sides, along the streets and around the parks. That will happen eventually. As for modern things, like high-rises, we can just plan them outside this area or arrange them around it. I think that would look really beautiful."

Mayor Mi asked, "What about within this area? It won't move?"

Xiao Wei said, "We should take action. We need to maintain and repair old buildings, restore them to their original appearance, and improve their functionality. We should also restore the landscape around the park. If there are suitable commercial investment projects, we should let them move in. We just need to have specific requirements for the building's appearance, height, and green landscaping."

Secretary Wang said, "I understand what Xiao Zhang means. It's quite interesting. We can think about it."

Mayor Mi turned to look at a planning bureau leader, who nodded.

Mayor Mi turned to Xiao Wei and asked, "How about you set an example for us? Let's get a piece of land to test it out first."

Xiao Wei: "Huh? I've already made one, haven't I? A modern version."

The planning bureau leader said, "Actually, it's mainly about Yanlu and Yanhu. It's not realistic to cover more than ten square kilometers. I think it's more realistic to create several tourist belts along Renmin Street, Xinmin Street, Minzhu Street, and Jiefang Street."

Mayor Mi said, "Let's go back and have a meeting to discuss this. Xiao Wei, can you guarantee that this place will open next summer?"

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, at the latest, before September."

Secretary Wang looked around and said, "Opening here, right next to it, doesn't quite fit; it looks too messy."

Xiao Wei said, "Actually, it's easy to fix. Just tidy up the utility poles and wires, unify the streets, manage the haphazard installations, renovate the exterior walls of the houses, and that's it. The main thing is to keep it clean, tidy, and uniform, and plant some trees."

Secretary Wang crossed his left hand across his chest, rested his right hand on it, stroked his chin, thought for a while, nodded, and said, "That makes sense, Lao Mi. I feel that our next step is to standardize the main streets of the city as Xiao Zhang just suggested. That could greatly improve the overall urban environment."

Mayor Mi looked around, nodded, and said, "This is something we can try. Let's create one street first and see how it goes."

Xiao Wei asked, "What brings you leaders to the construction site today?"

Mayor Mi said, "The Party Secretary and I have already gone up for a look around, mainly to check the progress. Construction should stop soon, so we're checking the arrangements and preparations." How about that? Aren't you moved?

Xiao Wei chuckled a few times. Secretary Wang said, "I just happened to be free today and came to take a look. After all, this is the biggest project in our city in recent years, involving urban construction, residential buildings, and commercial development. We're all looking forward to seeing the results. I didn't expect you to come up with some good ideas just now. You young people really have quick minds."

Mayor Mi said, "How about you give it a try, Xiaowei? I'll hand over Renmin Avenue to you, from the roundabout to Nanhu, and renovate it according to your specifications. Are you up for the task?"

Xiao Wei said, "Renmin Street? Uncle Mi, can I choose to jump into Nanhu Lake?"

Secretary Wang burst into laughter.

Mayor Mi said to Secretary Wang, "We can ignore the existing buildings and focus on improving the street environment and the surrounding old buildings and parks. We need to improve the environment first, and then we can figure out how to improve the buildings later." I thought about it, and what they said makes sense. It really doesn't look good to have old and new buildings crammed together, and the greenery in Xidu is indeed not as good as it used to be.

Chen Hui said to Mayor Mi, "We can age those newly built buildings, change their appearance, and do some work on their roofs."

Mayor Mi pointed at Chen Hui and said, "This idea is good. This way, the effect will be visible. At worst, we can rebuild slowly later."

Secretary Wang said, "We can start a project first, and begin work next spring. There's no need to set any funding restrictions; we'll reimburse expenses based on actual costs, okay? We can also use this opportunity to estimate the construction cost. The project profits will be allocated to the construction company in accordance with national regulations."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "It's about five or six kilometers, right? I estimate it will cost a lot of money, and it involves some specific units, so it will still have some impact."

Mayor Mi waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, those are minor matters."

Xiao Wei turned to look at Chen Hui, who rubbed his forehead and said, "It's best to be well-prepared for this. Look up some old photos and documents, have the design institute produce a drawing, and then design a construction plan. Who will actually carry out the construction is a minor matter."

The planning bureau official said, "We can provide some historical photos. The main problem is that the reason there was so much greenery and shady ground in the past was because there were fewer houses and less paved ground. But now, it's impossible to remove the paved ground and restore the soil, is it?"

Secretary Wang said, "Let's not talk about it today. Let's have a meeting when we get back. Chairman Zhang, I'm serious. The opening will be before September tomorrow. Lao Mi and I will be there to cut the ribbon for you."

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "Okay, thank you very much, boss."

Secretary Wang said to Mayor Mi, "We can arrange for some cleanup in this area. I think Xiao Zhang's suggestion is acceptable."

Mayor Mi nodded and said, "Okay, I'll have someone make a plan when I get back. We'll start tomorrow, when spring arrives. There's enough time."

Secretary Wang said, "Alright, you two don't need to stay with us. Go on with your work, we're going back too. Make sure to arrange the safety work during the work stoppage." Xiao Wei nodded in agreement.

(End of this chapter)