Michael Reddekopp spoke on behalf of Reddee Properties Inc., which owns six buildings downtown. He said his properties currently have six vacancies where thriving businesses once operated.

"If you go right in front of Midtown Plaza right now, the downtown is struggling with vagrancy, homelessness, crime and, in essence, some people would say it's rotting at its core," Reddekopp said.

It is almost like this is a different issue, that needs some serious social services work put behind it. Not something to say in an article about how the city is going to try to get this Link system working.