740 AM Did an interview yesterday, and had some of my remarks quoted, along with Mayor Parker's in the story. The peculiar thing is Mayor Parker said this:
"I have the choice between a crumbling building covered with graffiti, or a modern retail shopping center. I have to go with a modern retail shopping center."
There is of course the 'Standard Registry' building to the West of the proposed site on Bonner Street, and this gets graffiti'd up from time to time ( I think it said 1st Ward This morning ), but there is not a 'Crumbling Building' on the site right now. Has Ainbinder moved to purchase the Standard Registry building as well?
Here's the pics that Charles Kuffner posted from Off the Kuff.
Frankly speaking, I'm of the opinion that it is A - not that easy, and B - Doesn't have to be simply 'this or that'. Its not wrong to ask more of our government in the way of implementing community wishes. We have a proposed development site, and I don't think that any development has ever gone from proposal to completion without changes. Somewhere in the middle of what the community is responding with, and what the Developer/City wants to do is a middle ground.
That said, development overall is good, and if you're asking for taxpayer help, that also could be good, but there's got to be a willingness to open up about the needs of the community. Right now, it seems as if there's no transparency. CoH just passed $20 million going to a private developer in another 380 without plans going to the public. How many uniformed officers could $20 million fund?
Simply coming out and presenting some drawings of 14 cars in a Walmart Parking Lot (Its reported to be built to hold 600+), and saying its either a field, or this, does not, in my humble opinion, really hear the community's wishes.
I was at the meeting at the GRB and also couldn't help noticing that the parking lot was suspiciously sparsely populated in the artist's rendering of the Walmart. My husband and I drive by the site every day at least once, and it has never been an eyesore. I think it is very telling that no one ever protested the previous occupants. The mayor's comments have been very disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they're showing what the parking lot will look like the day after a hurricane strikes, or what the deal is, but I can honestly say I don't think i've ever seen this number of cars in a WM parking lot. I actually counted more people in the parking lot than cars on this one:
ReplyDeletehttp://washingtonheightsdistrict.com/rendering_c.html