What does DTK need?

[dtkvictim]

I guess I didn't make the point that I was trying to make as soundly as I hoped.

I sort of agree with your point, but a downtown that serves the entire city will always need to exist as a center for government, business, and city wide functions (events, demonstrations, etc). The issue is a lack of an alternative, offering what downtown offers while semi-exclusively serving you and your neighbour's needs and not those of the entire city.

To cite Jane Jacobs' "eyes on the street" theory, we should see reduced petty crime downtown if more people are frequenting there at all hours.

I'm skeptical about the size of the impact more people would have in our situation. Eyes on the street won't prevent crimes from people with no shame or perception of the world around them, and most petty criminals we have here face no consequences from the police, courts, or community even if more eyes cause more crimes to be reported, which I think is unlike her classic NYC examples.