1. The downtown master plan is a very good thing. Long overdue. Key to our community’s future and appeal. Just as important to the county as the city.
2. Communities that are thriving invest in themselves – in their infrastructure, in amenities that will give them distinction and a competitive edge in attracting talent.
3. You can always find places that tax less, but no one wants to live there because they don’t have anything to offer.
4. We need to get back in the convention business. We’ve lost a vital industry. The Executive Inn and Sportscenter are not marketable. It makes sense to combine a convention center with an arena in a first-rate multi-purpose downtown events center.
5. We are the envy of many cities to have an 18 acre redevelopment opportunity on the edge of our downtown along a panoramic bend of a mighty river.
6. City and county officials had two options to finance the downtown plan: an increase in the occupational/net profits tax or the insurance tax. The shortcoming of the occupational tax: retired individuals would not contribute, nor would citizens who live in Owensboro-Daviess County but work in Hancock, Warrick or other counties.
7. The revenue stream from the insurance tax will enable the city and county to borrow funds to make the downtown infrastructure improvements and build the public facilities necessary to attract hotel, residential, retail, office, restaurant and entertainment projects. A $79 million investment is expected to stimulate several hundred million dollars in private investment. Leaders who have transformed downtowns in other cities stress to us: If the public sector does not invest in the downtown, neither will the private sector.
8. The $79 million will primarily be spent two ways: labor and materials. If ever our local economy needed an infusion of funds that will benefit contractors, suppliers and the skilled trades, it is now. Postpone the project? Ask the hundreds of former employees of the Executive Inn if they want to wait five-ten years before having a chance to get a job at a new convention center?
9. All that being said, there should have been more public dialogue on the financing of the downtown plan. I wish officials had taken more time to educate the public, to explain the importance of the plan, the options that were available to them, the comparisons of taxation from other cities, the return on investment they could expect. Public input required in mandated public hearings is not the same thing as open and thorough public dialogue. Many people may have opposed the tax under any circumstances, but officials could have addressed the many misconceptions that have since circulated. They could have reduced the harsh feelings that are unfortunate and unnecessary.
10. Our community still faces many unresolved issues associated with the downtown plan. For example:
· Do we save a portion of the Executive Inn or use the currently closed exhibition hall until a new events center can be built?
· Do we relocate state agencies and use the state building property for a hotel convention center?
· Should we reserve sites for additional hotels around the convention center?
· What will be the process and policy through which developers are solicited and selected in public-private partnerships?
· What features and facilities should characterize the market square block? How much property should be cleared for that purpose?
As we move forward with more specific plans and designs, our community will be well-served by a fully transparent public process. Given the recent hostility that came forth as part of the insurance tax proposal, it is more important than ever that we inform and engage the citizenry and openly disclose issues and challenges, options, timelines, costs, trade-offs and the rationale used in making recommendations. Unlike this latest destructive polemic, let’s do all we can do to make the downtown program a positive, community building experience.
Rodney Berry
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As the downtown master plan moves forward, there is a responsibilty to our elected leaders to bring in the dialouge of all sectors of the community. More open and transparent dialouge would bring a greater backing and support from the community. The dialouge will bring a trust needed to unite the community. Lets go forward so we can begin working building a stronger community for the whole.
ReplyDeleteIn a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly, economic development theorist Richard Florida—when explaining the impact of the current economic crisis on the American city—summoned the wisdom of his predecessor Jane Jacobs when explaining the complexities of the future of the American city. Florida writes:
ReplyDelete“The great urbanist Jane Jacobs was among the first to identify cities’ diverse economic and social structures as the true engines of growth. Although the specialization identified by Adam Smith creates powerful efficiency gains, Jacobs argued that the jostling of many different professions and different types of people, all in a dense environment, is an essential spur to innovation—to the creation of things that are truly new. And innovation, in the long run, is what keeps cities vital and relevant.” (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200903/meltdown-geography )
Innovation—the nurturing of citizen creativity—will determine whether or not the community of Owensboro will thrive in the 21st century economy. The underlying philosophy of the Downtown Development Plan embraces the notion of “place” as a vitally important component in creating a climate of innovation. If the cultural and social advantages present in this riverside city can be displayed and nurtured, economic sustainability will surely follow.
Jane Jacobs also once noted, “The point of cities is multiplicity of choice.” Frankly, the city of Owensboro has waned in this regard in recent years, and certain leaders continued to operate with an embrace of the status quo. However, recent events have illustrated that the tide is indeed turning in the right direction. Creating a vibrant downtown region will allow for the multiplicity of diverse choices, and place the destiny of Owensboro in the hands of engaged citizens.
The creation of this new blog in response to the We The People initiative is an important first step in bringing concerned and informed citizens into the decision-making process. I sincerely hope it will become an avenue for productive discussions by Owensboroans from all walks of life and experiences.
I applaud the Public Life Foundation, the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation, and our civic leaders for encouraging positive growth for Owensboro.
17 acres, on the river, with usable structures, in the city limits, for $5 million!
ReplyDeleteSounds like our city and county were making an investment in, well, the city and county. Investors and outside businesses have purchased land outside the city limits for similar amounts of money for not so similar amounts of land and structures. I applaud the governing bodies for the purchase and decision making!