Springfield Officials: Growth=Housing Projects
There are plenty of problems in Springfield these days and it's almost tearfully easy to Huck mud at the city council and the mayor, but even this time, they could quite possibly have out done themselves yet again.
If you ask me, one of the biggest issues in Springfield that no one wants to talk about are the two monster housing projects two blocks from the downtown business district. For the last four years we've had homeless running around the quadrangle, people getting hassled in Court and Tower Squares, increased violence in the downtown area of all places, and yet, the City Council and David Panagore think it's an awesome idea to stick yet more 'affordable' housing (see housing projects) downtown? When is someone actually going to stand up and point out the ridiculously obvious that 'affordable housing' in Springfield has run it's course.
I don't know if anyone in city hall seems to realise it or not, but people don't come to this city because they don't feel safe. Housing projects = low income people. Low income people = low income problems. A big contributor to the atmosphere downtown are those two housing projects. Of course, not EVERYONE who lives there is a criminal, but in all honesty, 10% of the population create enough issues for everyone. Now we're going to ADD to that? As is, the downtown business area will never thrive. People don't like being hassled by bums and really don't like weaving in and out of the crasssy lolas lined up and down main street.
As if the projects on Dwight and Chestnut streets weren't enough, the latest public storage bin going to be located on one of the few streets people in the city still frequent: Worthington Street, the so called 'entertainment district'. Maybe i'm being too cynical, but it seems incredibly obvious that the only reason anyone comes to Springfield these days is to get drunk. Sad but true. God knows it's the only reason I go there. They've had a plethora of issues with the strip and now they're going to dump gas on the fire with more projects. I'm sure Panagore, Mayor Ryan and the other geniuses will no doubt begin pointing fingers at Commissioner Flynn when the bullets start flying.
In all fairness and funnies aside, the Finance Control Board has done a very solid job of pointing the city in the right direction. However, this latest decision is a serious mis-step in the wrong direction IF the overall goal of many of these consulting studies and downtown economic stimulous packages are to bring more people downtown.
Personally, I'd really like to see someone... anyone at city hall, grow a pair and start addressing the real problems downtown and the real issues that are preventing this city from growth. Signing off on more goodies for people who don't deserve them isn't going to get anyone anywhere. It'll keep on happening until some one's got enough brains to figure out that affordable housing is only affordable for those who get to live there. Ask a tax payer how 'affordable' affordable housing is.
2 comments:
The best thing I can say about your blog is at least you are trying to pay attention to Springfield. I wish more people were and were talking about it. I could go on to say you have many of your facts wrong, but I would rather focus on what we agree upon, rather than your berating and superior tone which gets us nowhere. Or don't you expect the subjects of your blogs to actually read your work?
To start, we agree that more market rate housing is needed in the downtown, yet developers are not ready to jump in that pond. To get there takes preparation. So we have commissioned a market study to prove the concept. Second, we are undertaking the redvelopment of 31 Elm Street in the downtown, focuing on market rate housing.
Third, you mention Worthington Street, what is being discussed there is the centralization of the homeless shelter operations, currently operating on the riverfront, conflicting with the Basketball Hall of Fame and related restaurants, etc. A by the by I hope youu recognize and understand that the problems of street vagarancy are related but not the same thing as the homeless problem. Part of the community , part of Springfield are the folks who are homeless, and their needs are real. It's a tribute to the City, that its' leaders recognize their social responsibility, In the real world, choices maybe simple but they are not easy (Reagan) and as JK Galbraith said to JFK, frequently public policy is the choice between the disasterous and the unpalatable.
Finally, please stop the strawman gibberish, about what I or others would or would not do, after you throw out some scenario...if you must blog, blog rationally and not knee jerk (although that is the simpler way to demonize others). As to what actually does happen, we work everyday with the police department on our downtown strategy. It's a partnership. The police department is leading the charge and public safety in the downtown is our principle concern. Without it recovery is impossible. yet that will not happen overnight either. This is about hard work and team work .
If you are going to talk about springfield,and development, I suggest you read Heather Brandon's blog in the Advocate, not because you would agree with her, yet you might, but becuase she takes the time to be well informed about the City's economic development goals and plans.
Thank you for paying attention and voicing your concerns. Although by my read your post was more of a rant, I have no issue with your observastions regarding the underlying issues facing the downtown. Please do keep posting on Springfield, more voices are needed.
David,
It doesn't take a QED report to call housing projects what they are. Not only are the locations of previous developments (not your fault) incredibly poor, but this 'development's' location is a pretty poor choice as well. The one thing that is keeping a constant trickle of people to downtown Springfield is the bar district. College students regularly spend a ton of their money down there every Thursday, Friday, Saturday night and now, even Wednesdays. Forget that kind of money when the scene becomes less-safe.
In terms of Developers wanting to or not wanting to 'jump in' to the pool, it's a simple question of WHY they don't want to jump in. Crime is high, streets are dirty, etc. You don't think that more affordable housing may be contributing to your problems? The reasons behind what's causing Developers to stay away from downtown are simple and nor do I think it takes another study to prove it. I feel that this endeavor may be contributing to the problem far more than it is helping. That's my fundamental criticism that you don't seem to address.
David, i'm fully aware of the many issues facing the Riverfront Development and the homeless invasion (poor word choice, but for lack of better term) of York Street Jail. I know it's causing people to stay away from Unos, the Hall of Fame, etc. I am one of the many happy citizens who's had the good fortune of being flashed by one of our fine, upstanding, and i'm assuming homeless, citizens, While parked at the light right next to the jail.
However 'moving' the problem isn't FIXING it. While I understand and even agree with your points on civic duty and holding a moral obligation to help our poorest neighbors, we are doing so at the expense of those who are and have been paying taxes in the city for years. They're being driven out. They're the business owners, they are the tax payers, they are neighborhood leaders, etc. We need more of them, not less. The more decisions that are made at their expense (literally), the fewer of those folks you're going to have.
I understand fully that change is not something that happends overnight. However, to exact change you need advocates for change. Those advocates feel (emphasize this) shut out of the process. Whether that's true or not is totally irrelevant. The problem is what you and yours can do to eliminate that feeling or sentiment.
Dave, once you and I get past the petty poopy snipes we get somewhere. I encourage you to keep visiting this site and engaging in much of the discussion. It's good to have folks like yourself come through here. It's a good place to have a no frills conversation. Hope to see you here more often.
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