2. The city will spend about $2 million on infrastructure work on the site that includes streets, lights, water and sewer pipes and such. It would also include the much-discussed public piazza behind the building on Main Street.
Showing posts with label Renaissance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Renaissance. Show all posts
October 28, 2014
Is the mall site's future coming into focus?
2. The city will spend about $2 million on infrastructure work on the site that includes streets, lights, water and sewer pipes and such. It would also include the much-discussed public piazza behind the building on Main Street.
October 16, 2014
Democrats: Republicans should stick to facts
DEMOCRATS RESPOND TO REPUBLICAN LEADERS
There they go again – the Republican Town Committee leaders
are on the blog with negative attacks on our Democratic elected officials and
candidates. What would be more
beneficial to the readers and to the voters are actual ideas and plans. Answers that include: what would you do, and
how would you accomplish your goals.
Voters on all levels, local, state and federal are tired of
partisan politics. Stop the bickering and
the negative campaigning and put a plan into action.
If the Republican leaders are not able to put forth their plans
for the City, then, at the very least, they have an obligation to write with
some semblance of a factual basis.
First, as to Rob Michalik – let’s look at the facts:
From 1999 to 2009, Plainville had the 11th lowest
annualized effective tax increase in the state (out of 169 towns). Rob was on the council for six of those
years. Also, while on the town council,
Rob spearheaded various efforts to save the town money. For instance, Rob pushed the town to purchase
its streetlights from CL&P, thereby saving the town approximately $50,000 per
year in maintenance costs. He advocated
that an Ebay-like auction procedure be implemented for the sale of bonds, which
saved thousands of dollars in interest costs.
In addition, Rob championed an aggressive delinquent tax program, which
has led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes being collected and
reduced the tax burden on those who pay their taxes on time. At DEDC, Rob worked primarily on efforts to
help small businesses. He worked on the
Small Business Express program, which assisted more than 1,000 small businesses
in Connecticut (including several in Bristol) and created or retained thousands
of jobs across the state. Rob proudly
worked extensively in helping to establish a new Manufacturing Innovation Fund
in the state, which will assist small manufacturers in making the investments
in equipment, technology and job training to remain competitive, win new
businesses and grow jobs.
Rather than focus on the upcoming election of our state
candidates, the Republican leaders attack our three Democratic Council members
who all have taken a stand on some very difficult issues; slinging mud and
calling them hypocrites. In particular,
they politicize the downtown/
Renaissance issue.
Ellen Zoppo-Sassu has offered a compromise agreement that
does not involve handing over city money to a private entity, but still gives
the City a stakeholder position in the development. Council member Zoppo-Sassu has moved a
substantial amount of business forward for the City in her eleven months back
on the City Council.
They twist Mary Fortier’s statement about Renaissance being
the preferred developer and point out that there is now new proposals at Ten
Main Street and other sites. These
proposals are not on the seventeen acres and Renaissance is not the preferred
developer of those new projects, yet it proves Council member Fortier’s point
that private development may stimulate what is being proposed on the seventeen
acres.
Lastly they criticize Calvin Brown for describing this as an
emotional issue for the City and characterize his stance as absurd. Calvin is 22 years old. He was the highest vote getter in Council
District 1 and city-wide. Voters
identified with his idealism. It is
Calvin’s generation that we need to retain and attract in order to maintain our
middle class with young families choosing to live here, buy homes here, and put
their children in our schools.
The Republican leaders conclude by stating that we cannot
afford more of this “leadership.” That
is the key word – leadership. Our
elected officials and candidates take a stand on the issues. They make their positions known. We welcome and encourage public participation
and input. We are willing to engage in
meaningful debate. There is too much at
stake for negative politics and sitting idle.
It’s time to put words into action!
Council to meet on Oct. 30 about Renaissance
October 10, 2014
BDDC to hold special meeting Tuesday
October 6, 2014
What's going on with Renaissance?
Monday, October 6: The
Republican majority on the City Council said this week it won’t take a stand on
Depot Square until the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. makes a
recommendation.
Mayor Ken
Cockayne and the three GOP councilors – Henri Martin, Eric Carlson and Rich
Miecznikowski – said that “in the interest of good faith negotiations and
contractual agreements” they have to follow the agreed-on process for a
decision on the project. LINK
Jennifer
Arasimowicz wrote in an Aug. 25 email to the nonprofit’s lawyer that she had “basically
laid out how I think the city stupidly set us up for a lawsuit” with its hiring
of East Hartford’s Goman + York Property Advisors.
Arasimowicz
said in the email that she had laid out the case “in a momentary lapse of all
common sense” in a secret email exchange she had in August with Frank Johnson,
a BDDC board member and former chairman.
She wrote
the email obtained by The Bristol Press to plead with attorney David DeBassio
to find a way to keep details of her exchange with Johnson confidential. LINK
Martin Kenny, a Hartford apartment
developer, has signed a purchase deal for 10 Main St. that will likely be
complete by year’s end. Construction could begin as soon as next spring, he
said Thursday
“It’s a great old historical building
with great bones, in tremendous condition,” Kenny said.
Kenny and a Bristol firm, D’Amato
Construction, pulled out of the Depot Square project in recent weeks to focus
on the prospect of creating housing in the five-story building that would not
require a city or state subsidy.
“We stepped aside,” Kenny said, calling
it “a political football there with the project” planned for the former mall
site.
“I want to do something” rather than “going
to town meetings and having everybody mad at each other,” he said. LINK
“Renaissance
has made a commitment to Bristol and Renaissance deserves renewed commitment
from us,” said city Councilor Mary Fortier. “Renaissance has taken risks in
Bristol and Bristol needs to move beyond the risk.”
After all,
she pointed out, “no one is banging down the doors of city hall for a chance to
develop this parcel.”
The three
Democratic councilors – Fortier, Ellen Zoppo-Sassu and Calvin Brown – each
issued long statements detailing their positions on Renaissance and its Depot
Square proposal to revitalize the 15-acre city center site where the mall once
stood. LINK (Note: The full statement of each of the councilors is on this blog below.)
October 2, 2014
Republicans say they'll wait to take a stand on Renaissance
Bristol, CT: On
October 2, 2014, GOP Council Caucus Official Statement on Depot
Square Project
The Depot Square project is currently
in the hands of the BDDC, as it has been over the last several years.
A project decision schedule has been outlined
and adhered to, and that process will continue to be
followed.
While we appreciate our Democratic council colleagues
offering their opinions on the project in public, we are refraining from
issuing a public position on the project until the BDDC makes their final
recommendation to the City Council, thereby placing the authority in the
City Council's hands to render a decision. In the interest of good faith
negotiations and contractual agreements, this is the process that must be
followed, has been followed, and will continue to be followed.
The beliefs we can share with the public regarding
the project are the following:
- We believe that redeveloping
downtown is a crucial part of the City's long-term financial viability,
economic growth, and image.
- We believe in fiscal
conservatism and ensuring that current and future generations are not
being saddled with unaffordable tax liabilities.
- We believe that the public
should have input in the final decision, particularly if government
or taxpayer dollars are to be used.
This is where we currently stand, and as we've said,
once every option is explored and the BDDC offers its final
recommendations, the public will be informed of the details
and options, public feedback will be requested through a variety of
means, and our opinions will be detailed for our constituents.
Sincerely,
Ken Cockayne, Mayor of Bristol
Eric Carlson, City Council - District 1
Henri Martin, City Council - District 2
Richard Miecznikowski, City Council - District 2
September 26, 2014
Zoppo-Sassu: Let's get going with Renaissance
Since elected officials were not allowed to
comment at last week’s public hearing, I join my Democratic City Council
colleagues, Calvin Brown and Mary Fortier, in issuing a statement on downtown
so our constituents will know where we stand.
My biggest concern at this time is the dueling
perceptions of Bristol residents not wanting to invest in themselves. We CAN
have a vibrant downtown. And I think we CAN address people’s concerns so that
we achieve an outcome that the majority supports.
In 2005 the city wisely voted to purchase the old mall as
a means of controlling our own destiny and shaping our own future. We wanted
our citizens to come downtown for more than just city services.
Then, some potential plans called for a new
Boys & Girls Club to be relocated on the Mall property, as well as a field
house and some mixed use retail, office space and a parking structure. The
voters who came to those public hearings objected to the land being used by entities
that would not generate tax revenue. In late 2006, the Mall site was on the short
list for the location of the new West Bristol School, but people again objected
and the school was eventually built on a remote section of Chippens Hill.
Today, people are asking why the new Club,
built on a small parcel on West Street, couldn’t have been built facing
Brackett Park? Why is the new school as far west as it could possibly be while
still being considered a Bristol school? The fact that the hue and cry from angry
citizens 10 years ago that prevented either of these plans from happening is
indeed ironic. Recently the discussion has turned to more open space and a
synthetic field from the school of "something
is better than nothing" and "let’s get something going," even
though the economic benefits of these scenarios would be marginal at best.
Are we destined to repeat history? I sure hope
not. But our track record is not great for getting it right, dating back to the
problems surrounding downtown urban renewal in the 1960s and early 1970s.
So what do I think today, after being back on
the City Council for almost a year and being immersed (again) in a variety of
reports, data, and public hearings on downtown?
First, I understand why people are opposed to
investing $6 million of taxpayer money into a private investment when the
economy is only slightly improving and people are watching every dollar. There
are a lot of unknowns that would have to be hammered out with the City having
an equity stake and deed restrictions if public money were part of the
equation.
I understand that people want a say and are
asking for a referendum. But what is the question? Are we asking taxpayers to
approve the plan as presented, or is it about the $6 million that Renaissance
asked for from the City?
They have now publicly stated that they are no
longer asking for $6 million so this now appears to be off the table as a main
argument for referendum.
Through the City’s 5 Year Capital Improvement
Program, the City spends millions each year on projects that the taxpayers
don’t even know about, much less have input into or for many, even know they
are occurring or how they are funded.
For example, in the spring of 2013, the then-elected
officials approved a $6 million renovation project for the Fire Department’s
Engine 4 – a fire house located off of Route 229 next to the Public Works Yard
and the Sewer Plant. Let’s just think about the irony of this for a minute –
there is currently a $6 million project – the same amount as was being
discussed for downtown - being launched for ONE fire house, in the
southeast section of the city - that no one is talking about. A project that
even many of the firefighters think is ridiculous.
The amount being spent would still be
ridiculous if it was for the fire headquarters on North Main Street, but at
least one could weakly argue that the $6 million would at least be benefiting a
building that was more centrally visible and part of downtown.
So philosophically, if we are already bonding
$6 million for a firehouse, why couldn’t we transfer that money to the downtown
project that would benefit the entire community? Since it’s already budgeted,
the taxpayers would feel nothing, and the Engine 4 fire house expansion could
be put on the shelf for another year. Or better yet, put these large-ticket
items up for referendum.
I know that Bristol has a lot of housing in
the downtown area. Some of it has been the subject of code enforcement actions
and we must also acknowledge that third floor apartments in restored Victorians
do not appeal to all young professionals. I can support some new housing
construction in downtown, but I have not supported the number of housing units that Renaissance desires. I
think that is too much density for this site but if they build it, I do hope
they fill it with the type
of sustained residential population that will represent the 7 day a week
customer base that businesses need to thrive.
I think we need to compromise and get the ball
rolling. The City of Bristol should offer to partner with Renaissance with
in-kind services to help them achieve their financial package needs. This would
mean taking responsibility for the creation of the Piazza, roads and sidewalks,
street lights, a shared parking plan for all parcels, and the necessary
hook-ups for water and sewer. While this may amount to less than $2 million in
city costs and services, it would be way to demonstrate support and buy-in in
an area where the City has experience and ability. The City can also be of assistance by
continuing its aggressive marketing and business recruitment activities on
other parcels that will bolster downtown – the recent sale of 10 Main Street,
the former Press building and helping other downtown landlords fill their
spaces – as well as supporting projects such as the Memorial Boulevard which is
another piece of the puzzle.
I think both the Renaissance work and some of
the recommendations of the Goman + York report go back to what we knew in 2005
– sometimes a public driver is needed to stimulate private investment. Whether
it’s going to be a Piazza or skating rink or something else, the City of
Bristol needs to have a role. And I
would really love to see ESPN involved as a partner in designing housing tailored
to their employees’ needs.
Last spring, I talked to a number of local
developers and real estate experts about their thoughts on downtown. One theme
that did emerge from all of these separate conversations was making the project
more manageable. Renaissance needs to be encouraged in their role as gatekeeper
and the preferred developer to bring other developers to the table for the
remaining parcels. We have design and zoning regulations for downtown in place
and with careful, collaborative efforts, we could possibly have several
developers at the table at the same time, all working with Renaissance to
create a synergy for the 15 acres.
I like that the Mayor called a joint meeting
of the BDDC and City Council. We all need to show leadership, keep the lines of
communication open, and continue to work together and decide on a path that
works for everyone and gets shovels in the ground sooner rather than later.
While the Democrats have not been at the table for the negotiations, I think I
speak for all of us when I say we are anxious to be part of the solution.
No downtowns are perfect. They are all,
regardless of size and demographics, a work in progress with a mix of
businesses that appeal to some people and not others. But if Southington,
Plantsville, and New Britain can re-build their downtowns with a mix of
government center, independent retail and restaurants and other activities, so
can we.
In fact, we have a blank slate of 17 acres to
draw our future. It’s time we got our paints and start putting color on the
canvas.
September 24, 2014
Fortier continues to back Renaissance
For any that don’t know, I have been a supporter of Renaissance Downtowns and continue to be. I’d like to share some of the reasons why. As the Preferred Developer for Depot Square they signed a contract with the city that contained pages and pages of requirements. They have worked hard for years and have accomplished most of those requirements. Their efforts at grassroots organizing and marketing for this project through Bristol Rising have certainly exceeded the requirements of the contract. While the contract includes the basic mixed use outline for this project, including many hundreds of housing units, specifics like the piazza, which has become very popular, have grown out of the partnership with Renaissance and Bristol residents. Renaissance and Bristol share a vision for a more vibrant, walkable, sustainable downtown.September 18, 2014
Brown: Do not abandon plans for mall site
As I was unable to fit my comments in at the end of the public hearing Tuesday night, I am releasing this statement in the hopes that my views on downtown redevelopment – as they stand right now – may be clear for my constituents.
First and foremost, I consider downtown redevelopment to be one of the most pressing issues of our time. In order to improve the quality of life for everyone, we need to attract more middle class families to live in our city, grow our tax base, and spur new economic activity at new, thriving, easily accessible businesses. Our top-rate school system, central location, and medium-size-town atmosphere make us an attractive option for young families, but we’re missing a few other key elements young people often look for when considering a place to live.
Chief among these considerations: a vibrant and walkable downtown. This vision can be realized in the City of Bristol. Retail, public green-space, and competitive housing are elements that I believe can truly revitalize our downtown area. For now, Renaissance is not only the singular company that has shown an interest in developing the downtown lot with this sort of focus, they are the only company that’s shown an interest in development – period. It is my belief that it is in the city’s best interest by far to continue to work with Renaissance to revise and refocus our efforts in good faith. To the many members of the public that disagree with assigning city dollars to the project: I hear you. To the many members of the public who say let’s give them the money and just get started: I hear you, too. But for now, Renaissance is willing to look at other options that do not include city money, and we need to let them try that.
In a perfect world I would prefer to see the City build the piazza ourselves, build the road through the parcel that will be required for future development, and commit to other infrastructure improvements surrounding downtown that will make the space more viable and attractive to investors and potential businesses. These are the investments every great community makes in themselves, and perhaps that is a more appropriate use of public money.
To members of the public that ask for a public referendum on the issue: I believe that until we have a plan to even potentially propose on a ballot, it is too soon to talk of a public referendum. If the plan can move ahead without any city money, a referendum won’t be necessary. If the plan cannot move ahead without city money, then the discussion of a public referendum will have to take place.
Regardless, however, as one of your elected officials I must make my position perfectly clear: the gigantic importance of revitalizing our downtown to get it thriving again makes the cost of doing nothing much too high. For now, that empty lot is a hole in our heart that requires thoughtful, surgical care. Abandoning this process now and delaying any movement there for an indeterminate amount of time could send our city into cardiac arrest. Getting the project moving, on the other hand – with new people and new businesses and new attractions in the heart of our great city – could beat new life into our veins.
One day, when I stroll the streets of my hometown with my own children, I want to be able to look them in the eye and say “look at what the people in our city came together to accomplish. Look at the heart of Bristol, which we strengthened for you.”
I don’t want to show them a seventeen acre graveyard of what could have been, and mutter softly, “I’m sorry.”
September 9, 2014
Joint session to discuss Depot Square on Sept. 16
The 6 p.m. Tuesday meeting at City Hall is billed as a public hearing where the Long Island developer will speak first and then anyone else who wants to weigh in will have the opportunity.
Mayor Ken Cockayne said city officials won’t make any decisions Tuesday. They just want to listen to what people have to say, he said.
“It’s an opportunity for the public to speak to both boards,” Cockayne said. LINK FOR MORE
September 8, 2014
Time for city leaders to -- shocking idea -- lead
August 20, 2014
BDDC watching from the sidelines while city takes the lead on mall site
That's downtown consultant Michael Goman speaking to the City Council on Monday evening about Renaissance's plans for the former mall site. He got nearly an hour to lay out his recommendations and field a few mild questions from council members.
In the front row, watching, were members of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp., which has oversight over the mall site's revitalization. They were told they couldn't even ask questions.
It's not quite clear what's going on between the BDDC, Mayor Ken Cockayne and the council, but it's at least odd that the nonprofit created to deal with the city center property is watching from the sidelines while a city-hired consultant has the spotlight on him.
August 18, 2014
Contrasting proposals for former downtown mall site
August 11, 2014
No need for secrecy with Renaissance
August 10, 2014
When the city bought the mall site...
August 6, 2014
SSShhhhhhh!! City hires new downtown consultant
The city
quietly hired a consultant his summer to duplicate much of the job assigned to
the nonprofit Bristol Downtown Development Corp. overseeing the revitalization
of the former mall site.
The city agreed
to pay $18,500 to Goman + York Property Advisors, a high-powered East Hartford
firm, to provide “specific and actionable” recommendations to the City Council
about how to handle proposals from Renaissance Downtowns for the Depot Square
project.
Mayor Ken
Cockayne said he hired the firm because he “thought we needed an outside,
independent review” to go over all the material from Renaissance and offer the council
guidance on what to do next.
“I’m doing
my due diligence,” the mayor said.
He said he
kept the move quiet “to fend off any undue influence” on the consultant
that might sway its recommendations. Click here for the full story.
July 25, 2014
Why isn't the city pursuing a Plan B?
 |
| William Stortz |
July 16, 2014
Democrats fire back on referendum issue
Democratic Response to the Republican
Town Committee’s recent “Let the Public Decide” press release
Petty
politics and overly dramatic phrases will do little to further this debate on
downtown’s future. Our comments concerning the referendum were based in two
facts: the City of Bristol has never governed by referendum and to date, we are
not convinced that a non-binding referendum on a non-ordinance related item is
proper.
The
primary question is is it appropriate for the City of Bristol to invest public money to
kick-start the initial phase of a private investment?
Following
dozens of meetings and forums, and accumulating voluminous input since this
downtown development project was first proposed almost 10 years ago, we have
reached the point where hard decisions need to be made.
So
the secondary question is, “should the question be put to referendum or
should we rely on the experience and knowledge of our elected officials?”
These
are two complex questions that invite thoughtful public policy debate. But
not questions that require, or will be resolved, by the petty political
bickering offered by the Republican Town Chairman Derek Cenzelewski..
It
is our opinion that a call for a non-binding referendum is yet another move by
the local Republicans to not make a decision. Mr. Cenzelzewski’s effort to
twist our words showcases political opportunism at its worst.
There
has been a glaringly obvious lack of reports from Republican Council members
concerning items of importance at monthly City Council meetings and in fact,
when Democrats give reports, they are accused of “grandstanding” or “talking
too much.”
Councilman
Martin serves as liaison to the Field Study Committee, the Board of Education,
the Downtown Development Corporation and the city’s Marketing Task Force – 4
committees that have major budget and policy impact yet until last month, he
has stayed silent during Committee reports. Ironically,
Councilman
Martin has also neither fulfilled his role of communicating back to the Council
on downtown issues nor has he endorsed the idea of a public referendum, yet Mr.
Czezelewski ignores these facts. Again, a clear indication of his motivation:
petty political bickering.
To
recap some of Mr. Czenzelewski’s
outlandish allegations, here is what we believe:
• We know our role is to listen to our
constituents and make ourselves available to them in a variety of ways
including at public events, via social media, email, and open office hours. In
fact, the Democratic council members are the only ones to have held office
hours to hear from our constituents, this past year.
• Councilwoman Fortier does have an
opinion. She is also a lawyer by profession and deals in facts. As the minority
party, we are not included on the current talks with the Renaissance
discussions. Some of these concerns were addressed by the mayor in executive
session last week when the mayor realized we had not received certain
information and promised the Council it would be circulated shortly.
• The city did not hold meetings in the
“middle of the night” in 2005; nor do they do so now. That’s just a lie. But
here’s a fact, many city meetings are held to accommodate key members of the
Republican administration with disregard to the Democratic members’ schedules
or the public, which typically can’t make meetings that are held when most
people are still working.
• There was a large amount of public
input and open meetings in 2005 concerning the fate of the 17 acre parcel.
Ideas considered and discarded based on public reaction at that time included
using the site for a field house and new Boys and Girls Club, a school to
replace the O’Connell neighborhood school. Ironically, after 8 years with
little to no progress, 2 of those years in which Mr. Czezelewski served on the
City Council, there are many people who now look back on those proposals and
wish that those ideas had come to fruition.
Democracy
doesn’t stop at the ballot box. It requires constant conversation. Creating and
recreating the image of what we as a community want our city to be is a work in
progress. Bristol residents have contributed to the discussion on the future of
downtown for years. That conversation is not over nor is it right for us, as
city councilors now, to abdicate our responsibility. To do so would ignore what
the voters sent us as their elected Councilors, to do.
Submitted
By:
Calvin
Brown, District 1
Mary
Fortier, District 3
Ellen
Zoppo-Sassu, District 3
In addition, Fortier sent this along:
I want to
take this opportunity to clarify my recent comments about a possible referendum
on Depot Square. Steve Collins correctly
quoted me saying that I am not privy to anything and I don’t know whether there
should be a referendum. First, neither
the Charter of the City of Bristol nor its ordinances has any provision for a
referendum on a spending or bonding issue.
And certainly not on matters of economic development. Unlike many New
England towns and cities, we do not use the town meeting or referendum for the
yearly general budget or bonding issues, instead we have a Finance Board and
City Council. And, the Finance Board has
more members as a check to the City Council on financial matters. I didn’t create our system of government but
I am part of it and I work within that system.
The BDDC, Bristol Downtown
Development Corporation, was created as a special quasi-public entity to
oversee the development of the 17-acre parcel we call Depot Square. They have a “preferred developer agreement”,
or contract, with Renaissance Downtowns which sets out the steps for developing
the property. To date, the only thing the BDDC has asked the Council to do was grant
an extension for a revised financial plan to be submitted. That extension was
granted unanimously in May. I didn’t create the process but I respect the
process. The BDDC was added to give extra attention, consideration, and
expertise to this important issue.
I have attended
several BDDC meetings and public comment sessions since I was elected. I was
not at the last BDDC meeting where the “referendum idea got floated”. The notice of that meeting was not on the
city’s website and no email notification that it was happening was sent. As a
result I am not privy to the context with which the idea of a referendum was
raised. No explanation has been provided
as to what the basis or authority for a referendum question, much less what the
actual question would be. Yet it’s been said that a referendum would be
appropriate because the city was being asked for financial support to the
project.
Since the Council
granted the extension, the mayor and Republican controlled city council have
not kept us informed on further discussions. Outside counsel hired by the Mayor
and City Council have not been given formal opportunities to have conversations
with myself and my fellow Democrats. My
fellow Council member Calvin Brown sent an email on June 25 asking for an
update on those discussions and he still hasn’t received a reply to the email. I
still have lots of questions. There is
no finalized proposal so I don’t think a referendum now would even be
appropriate. And, why have a non-binding referendum? What is the point of that?
I support the overall
plan for Depot Square: multiple buildings with mixed use residential units,
retail offices, restaurants, and of course a piazza. I came into office being presented this plan
and want to do all I can to make it work.
I want a vibrant exciting downtown, but more importantly I want a strong
stable tax base. The more value built on Depot Square the more taxes the city will
collect leaving less tax increases for city residents. The value of Bristol, our community, as a
whole will increase.
I share a frustration that the April proposal by Renaissance
Downtowns contains a request for bonding or public money from the city. It
makes what is already a complicated project more complicated. It makes decisions by the BDDC and the
Council harder. But it is, according to the current process a question for the
BDDC and Council.
The city spends many millions of dollars each year and with that
try to plan and build for our future. We
have spent millions on new schools, we are planning a multimillion dollar new
firehouse, before the year is out we will probably authorize spending more than
a million on our first synthetic athletic field, and in the near future we will
be spending millions upgrading our police communications system. Hopes that development
of Depot Square would be funded by private dollars is dictated by the realities
we as city leaders face daily. That doesn’t exclude considering a portion be
funded with public dollars. Or that the
Mayor and City Council ignore their role as representatives of the public
interest.
My constituents ask me when something is going to happen in
Depot Square. When I ran for office I
told voters I hoped for something sooner rather than later. Many voters are not familiar with all
components of the process or even what has been proposed, but want to see
activity downtown again. My preferences for the priorities of the city whether
Depot Square or a new turf or a new firehouse or a new field are just my
opinions, they are all part of a bigger process.
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