Talk of DTM decline and demise a familiar story

Once again, there's been talk about The DTM's decline and possible demise…about how economic circumstances, recent events, development, and alleged city planning bungling is hurting the downtown mall area. After writing about The DTM for a number of years, one thing I've noticed is that it's decline and demise as been predicted pretty much since it was built, and has continued to be predicted over the decades since then, and yet….and yet…as businesses come and go, and as complaints come and go, the DTM keeps going on, evolving, thriving, defying the perceptions of the day. See timeline below:

• In 1980, Fashion Square Mall opens, luring downtown businesses and customers, and many think it will spell the end of the downtown pedestrian mall.

• In 1985, the downtown is struggling so much that the city funds and opens a 209-room hotel, which is today the Omni.

• In the late 1980s, Eugene, Oregon; Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Fayetteville, North Carolina are among the dozens of cities digging up their …