It’s kind of sad that a restaurant’s closing can generate the kind of news that San Joe’s has this week. From WALB to the Albany Herald, it’s a story that people seem interested in. It’s also a sign of what will continue to hurt downtown Albany.
ADICA wants to use bond money to lure businesses to downtown, but there’s a major hurdle. Those who own the property in downtown don’t seem to really be able to step up and make the repairs or remodeling necessary to keep their property filled. Today, it’s San Joe’s. Before that it was Harvest Moon. Rumor has it that Harvest Moon relocated to northwest Albany was the same as San Joe’s for leaving. They couldn’t get repairs.
Don Buie seems like a man who genuinely wants to help downtown. So, in that spirit, here’s my take on what it’ll take make downtown Albany everything he seems to hope it’ll be.
All my life, there have been plans to improve the downtown area, and frankly it’s a hell of a lot nicer than it used to be. This is partially because of the now interesting architecture all over the place. The new Federal Building, the School Board building, and the Government building blend well with the Herald’s offices and the Municipal Auditorium. The rows of shops across from the governmental buildings used to offer a bizarre mix of shops that I never really spent much time looking at.
However, downtown Albany started to improve shortly after Harvest Moon opened up. It brought in young, vibrant customers that started to attract new businesses targeting that very same demographic. Then the State Theater opened up as a venue for all kinds of interesting things. What did the government do to help this improvement along? Nothing at all but get out of the way.
Downtown’s improvement was the result of businessmen and women working toward making it viable and it was working. Unfortunately, stupid property owners blew that one, but the damage can be undone easily enough.
Tax incentives for the owners to make their improvements are easy enough, and if they’re sufficient enough, they will work. Remember that greed is a natural force. Don’t work against it, but harness it. Once the sites are improved, attracting businesses won’t be nearly as hard as ADICA seems to think.
One of the real hassles for business owners is all the hoops they have to jump through to open a new business. Streamlining those would also help encourage folks to open new businesses in the downtown area. Also in the same vein, eliminating some of the ridiculous fees to get licensing wouldn’t hurt either.
The free market isn’t just a cliche. It’s a way to harness man’s natural inclinations toward greed in a more productive way given enough time. So why not use free market principles to attract these businesses the City wants in downtown Albany and make it something that can last?
Stop the bleeding!! Letting these fools dump an additional $6 million downtown will not accomplish anything except adding another burden to taxpayers. Buie wants to build housing downtown (which given the state of the housing market is, perhaps, the best sign of his intellect) and that’s the last thing Albany needs.
If you want to spur local growth, dump the Sinyard-Hodges crowd, lower property taxes and rein in Phoebe. That’s a very clear, three-point program. Having the government borrow money to build more empty buildings is not the answer!!
When I was an intern with ADICA during grad school at ASU in the late 80s, Wes Smith told me to find a picture of what that block looked like before the façade from Owens Sporting Goods to the old Broad Avenue Cinema. I found a microfiche picture from an Albany Herald article of a church protest of the showing of Carnal Knowledge from 1971.
I told Wes that the future of downtown residency was lofts, lofts and more lofts since that two and three story building had that bonus space unused upstairs. Picture exposed bricks, giant windows, hardwood floors and a open floorplan. The question becomes: who wants to live downtown? I met Buie at a social event and said that he should model living downtown after the success stories in Baltimore because I could not wait to find a studio apartment when I moved to Capitol Hill in D.C…the mid-Atlantic does loft concept well.
Bo Henry was the heart of downtown and with time the area could have been an eclectic mix of bars, shops, lofts, and bookstores. With the riverfront resources and Civic Center, I would prefer living down there as an upperclassman at ASU and biking “all-green” across the bridge for class. That area could be the hottest HBCU campus complex in America.
Some senior citizens who sell their northern homes after retirement would welcome the urban feel of downtown if it was safe. It could be hip to run the waterfront and do yoga in the morning and walk a few blocks to a sports bar or tapa spots in the p.m. Oh, I forgot San Joe is out also.
What’s a shame is that Thomasville, Moultrie and Tifton are going more downtown. Don’t just blame the leaders because comfort and security are issues because the worst element in the community is looking to prey on people.
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Sorry Sly, but I have to disagree with you a bit. While loft space being rented to ASU students might work out pretty well, I still feel that the leadership is ignoring the problems, namely comfort and security as you point out. Pretending that throwing bond money at the problem will make it better doesn’t make it true. Stepping up law enforcement efforts will do far, far more than spending a pile of tax dollars to try and attract businesses to an area where the property owners won’t even make the necessary repairs to keep good tenants.
Tom, the bond money or funding options is Albany’s business. I did not say how it would be funded long term…remember, I am a Democrat. lol
slyram’s last blog post..Israel/Arab States Origins: Pre-Obama Trip
Yeah, it’s Albany’s business…but I live in Albany so I have to butt my nose in there
As for you being a Democrat, I remember…I just don’t hold it against you
The potential projects which could utilize some of the $6 million are varied. Some are based on the idea that private investment will come downtown, if public dollars are spent on infrastructure and facade improvements.
I understand there may still some septic tanks downtown!!!! If nothing else, the city has a public safety interest in assisting folks to tie into the sanitary sewer system.
Some proposed projects are based on the idea that there are solid long-term tenants who will contractually obligate themselves to come downtown if certain properties are rehabilitated. Although I cannot share the details for obvious reasons, I am very excited about the possibilities.
The idea is NOT to create a $6 million apartment complex in downtown as some folks have confronted me about.
There are numerous, smart, bite-sized projects proposed that really could bring meaningful private investment into the downtown area. There are some larger projects that could also occur, but most likely won’t occur, if I offer any more detail than I already have.
Please keep in mind that the $6 million operates more like a line of credit than a bond. It is an in-house bond. It can be drawn down in small pieces, and interest is only paid on the amount drawn down. The interest and principal is expected to be repaid by a combination of the projects themselves and the infusion of new property taxes into the TAD (Tax Anticipation District). The infusion should come from the WalMart coming to East Albany which was made part of the TAD and the expected increases in property values in downtown. The timing of this bond has a lot to do with the timing of the TAD and the East Albany WalMart.
The bottom line is that NONE of the bond money has to be spent. The number is large because if things take off as expected, we will need this kind of money to accomplish the larger projects.
If the players in downtown redevelopment (property owners, developers, tenants, etc.) are not realistic, the money does not ever have to get drawn down. Ironically, it may be a good thing that there are so many delapidated structures from which to choose. The players that wait to get realistic may find that they have missed the boat entirely, as their neighbors benefit from the bond issue. There are more good potential projects to lure private investment than there is money.
Finally, if the money gets squandered somehow, then me, the city manager, the assistant city manager, the downtown manager, and a host of others, probably lose our jobs. I am willing to take that risk. I believe in what we are trying to do downtown.
Thanks for commenting yet again Commissioner.
Let me make sure I’ve got some of these details correct. Part of this $6 million will go towards rehabilitating structures which tenants will obligate themselves to occupy for a set period of time, correct? My question then is, why is the city involved in this at all? Wouldn’t tax incentives to the property owners be sufficient? Were tax incentives looked into rather than the bond, and if so, why not use them instead? OK, that’s more than a single question on that one, but those are questions I hear quite a bit.
OK, in regards to the bond money being more like a line of credit, how was the $6 million figure reached? I’m mostly hoping there was a calculation involved, as opposed to the treasury department’s “really big number” method for calculating the bail out money. We hear dollar amounts, but so far I haven’t seen any reasoning for where it comes from.
I’m actually very OK with taking care of septic tanks downtown, though I’m sure that there are others who don’t want our tax dollars going for that either.
Mostly, I’m curious how many free market solutions were looked at for these problems, and why they weren’t implimented instead of what is basically government intervention.
Awesome questions, many Albanians would love to have the answers. Commissioner Langstaff, thanks for taking the time to address these issues. Unfortunately it appears you are the rare exception to elected officials in the city.
Let’s face it, folks. Downtown Albany’s fate was sealed years ago when we tore down most buildings with any ‘character’ in an attempt to look more ‘modern’. Hence, what we are left with is, for the most part, a handful of very old, junky buildings that inspire nothing– including developers. Make a trip to almost any city–larger or smaller–within 100 miles and the difference in potential is readily seen.
The saying ‘can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear’ seems to fit our downtown!
Tom, you wrote: “why is the city involved in this at all?”
The city, or rather ADICA, is involved because one or more of the implicated private sector players is either not willing to take the risk on a given project without some subsidy, or simply does not have the borrowing power to take on the risk associated with a given project. There is obviously risk in any rehabilitation project. I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.
The next logical question is: if the private sector is not willing to shoulder the risk, then why should the taxpayers?
That’s a tough question for a professed Libertarian like myself. Here’s how I answer it. Downtowns are the center of governmental activity for most communities worldwide. It’s where the private sector gets their business licenses, building permits, etc. It is also typically the focal point for cultural activities. It’s where you go to see the opera, the symphony, the ballet, and maybe the fish. To let downtown go to pot is ultimately to let the whole city go to pot.
Thriving communities have thriving downtowns. They may thrive in different ways, but they still thrive. What works in Marietta and Duluth may not work here, but part of what works in Valdosta and Columbus might. A Dollar Store and Subway may not be terribly sexy, but we have to be realistic about what is really going to work here and nurture that. By the way, Mr. Buie seems to get that. A successful business gives an infinitely better impression than an empty building.
Our downtown has improved, but much of it is crumbling beneath its outer skin. Roofs are caving in. Pigeons are roosting inside buildings. Although there are bright spots, there is still visible abandonment.
It is ludicrous to me to have a $30 million aquarium across the street from a structure with a roof caving in. That does not send a positive message to those investors who could spur economic development in our community.
Every economic development seminar I have been to has emphasized the importance that a community’s downtown has on its overall perception.
One way to clean up downtown is to just start razing buildings. It may ultimately come to that. $6 million would not demolish everything that probably needs to be demolished when one takes into account asbestos removal and other environmental issues associated with modern demolition. Of course, when you rehab a building you get it back on the tax rolls. When you just demolish it, you wind up with greenspace, but you also wind up with more unused land in the government’s inventory. If feasible, rehab is the more sensible way to go.
Some of the proposed projects do contemplate substantial demolition work and new construction. However, the goal is to avoid demo without an obligation of new construction.
The bottom line is that, at this time, the private sector is not willing to take the necessary risks to revitalize the area without extra government incentive. It’s similar to how Walmart is getting enticed to East Albany. The city and county have contributed large dollars for road improvements with the expectation that sales tax income will make it a sound investment.
My goal for downtown is to reach the Tipping Point (there is a good book by that same name). The tipping point here would be when government incentives are no longer needed, and market forces alone make downtown investment desirable to investors. I think that will happen. It could happen before the initial $6 million is invested, but it honestly could take longer. The idea is to invest; recoup the investment; and reinvest some more.
You also wrote: “Wouldn’t tax incentives to the property owners be sufficient? Were tax incentives looked into rather than the bond, and if so, why not use them instead?”
As for tax incentives, they have been out there for a long time. I am not aware of any tax incentives offered by other communities that are not also offered here. Please let me know if you know otherwise. The short answer is that the available tax incentives have been insufficient to get private investment into downtown. They weren’t sufficient to get Wal-Mart into East Albany either. Something more is needed.
That begs the question: Why must government intervene in East Albany and Downtown when it has not needed to in other areas like Northwest Albany?
My opinion on that is that government failed its citizens by letting things get too bad for too long. I believe there is a tipping point for the bad, just as there is for the good. Things can get so bad that market forces cannot right the ship. Things can be so bad you have to have government intervention to get things back on track.
Specifically, I think lax code enforcement over many decades is largely to blame. I am not faulting city staff at all. I am faulting the general apathy towards certain areas of town over the decades. Out of sight has meant out of mind. I am also faulting the apparent unwillingness over the years to force the demised property owners to clean up their junk or tear it down. Of course, the economic importance of downtowns was not widely recognized until fairly recently, and hindsight is 20/20. I confess that 30 years ago I might have been just as apathetic.
Generally, a blind eye was turned to the mess downtown. Blight was allowed to persist. Now it is going to cost us plenty to get it cleaned up. The same is true of property damaged in the floods, and never repaired. No one required the property owners to repair or demolish their flood-ravaged homes.
By chance, I delivered meals on wheels to my 5th grade teacher a few months ago. She chewed me out for almost thirty minutes about the blight that was allowed to persist since the 1994 flood in the areas around her perfectly manicured homestead. She was told to move away, but she stayed. The city rewarded her by letting vagrants take over abandoned structures all around her. She is fearful to stay, but she is basically stuck.
On the bright side, the current administration is working hard to get things cleaned up. We are allocating major time and money to the cause. I hope we can get my 5th grade teacher’s area presentable in her lifetime. However, code enforcement is a long, laborious, expensive process. There are decades of decay to irradiate.
It is going to take a lot more to do code enforcement right now than it would have if stuff was nipped in the bud a long time ago. It’s the broken windows philosophy — you let one broken window go unfixed, then the neighbor next door figures there’s no reason to fix his rotten porch, another neighbor neglects his yard, another his roof, etc.. Eventually property values and/or rents plummet. Before long the gangs and drug dealers move in, and call the place home. Now you have a very expensive mess to clean up. That’s where we are right now.
You should try to tour the old Albany Theatre downtown. I lived in Manhattan for a year, and did not see as many pigeons there as I saw the last time I went inside the Albany Theatre auditorium. Sadly, it is probably beyond repair, and will be a very expensive demo someday. Much more of downtown will follow its path, if we don’t act swiftly.
In case you are worried, let me assure you that the proposed methodology for downtown revitalization with the ADICA bonding is not new. It has been used nationwide to revitalize downtowns. Assistant City Manager Jim Taylor was tasked with figuring out how to get private investment into downtown. He spent about a year researching how other communities managed to do it. His research and recommendations resulted in us adopting the TAD, hiring Mr. Buie, and employing the bonding power of ADICA to allow us to partner with the private sector on some of these projects. It also resulted in us transitioning away from ATI’s “brick and mortar” approach which was, in fairness, how many other successful cities initially started their downtown revitalization process before transitioning to this approach.
As for the amount of the bond, a much larger figure was requested by Mr. Buie. There was debate and compromise. The $6 million represents enough money to get enough of the smaller projects off the ground such that a developer on one of the larger projects will actually make the more substantial commitment required to get a larger project done. If the smaller projects flounder, we may not see the larger ones ever attempted. That’s when we cue the wrecking ball, and write some very large checks to the demo people and the environmental abatement firms.
Thanks for answering my questions. I’ve heard most of them for some time myself. Honestly, I’m doubtful that they’ll work, truth be told, for various reasons but I don’t fault the attempt. However, I can’t help but think it might just be easier to move downtown to Northwest Albany
In all seriousness, I have no idea what kind of tax incentives are currently in place in downtown to spur private investment, so I can’t comment on what anyone else is doing. However, if they’ve been tried and aren’t working, then frankly I’m out of options myself. Personally though, I prefer to see the free market at work, even if it means downtown failing.
In my lifetime, I’ve seen several attempts to “rehabilitate” downtown. The most progress was made when Bo Henry opened up Harvest Moon, then all kinds of new businesses started popping up. The State Theater was opened up and interesting entertainment choices started playing. Things really started moving in the right direction, and it was market driven. Unfortunately, it seems that a healthy dose of rational self-interest is needed among the property owners downtown. Repairing the property would keep it occupied and increase the value…it shouldn’t need anything from government.
As a Libertarian myself, I find myself doubtful of how well this will work since I’m very doubtful when it comes to government intervention into the market, which is essentially what this is. Granted, this is a much less intrusive way than what we currently see at the State and Federal level. Time will definitely tell the tale, and so long as it doesn’t raise taxes, I hope downtown the best.
[...] Written by Tom on June 4, 2009 – 11:00 am A couple of days ago, I wrote about the current downtown redevelopment project in relation to the news that San Joe’s was leaving downtown. Well, something very cool happened. City Commissioner Bob Langstaff came and gave us the [...]
Couldn’t the simple answer be that crime and the fear of getting mugged is one of the key reasons why downtown will not work. People are AFRAID to go down their after sundown. Sure people still do it, but for the most part you are not going to get the group of individuals that actually have money to spend to go down their. Take Envy for instance, when they were in downtown it was nothing for a theft to take place in plain daylight. We can throw out many different scenerios, but I believe the main reason no one wants to go down there is for fear for their life. Until the majority of the citizens of Albany start taking a stand against gangs and against crime Downtown will have no chance, and all money thrown into it will be like throwing it into a black hole.
Jay, that is a great point. Downtown has a perception problem…but not a crime problem. I will try to post some crime statistics which I believe show that such a perception does not reflect reality. I have seen the statistics, but I do not have them handy at the moment. Watch for a posting on that soon.
City leaders and staff understand this is a MAJOR obstacle to downtown redevelopment. It is being addressed. However, I personally believe we have not done enough to SHOW people with cold, hard data that downtown is a safe place to live, work, and play. Heck, I don’t even have the downtown crime stats handy. I should.
I do want you to know that the perception of an unsafe environment is a common obstacle in downtown redevelopment. Successful cities don’t run from it though. They address it head on.
We are learning from those cities which have bustling after-hour activity in their downtowns. Valdosta’s downtown, for example, really comes to life after dark. I stayed down there overnight during a multi-day trial a couple of years ago. There are a number of good restaurants and entertainment spots there.
A half dozen years ago, when confronted with the same downtown fear-factor Albany faces now, Valdosta decided to install video cameras in their downtown area. They have worked marvelously.
We are following their lead. Fortunately, the price of the same video technology Valdosta employed has dropped drastically in the last few years. If my memory serves me, we are using the same video vendor they are. We are hoping to avoid some of the hiccups and learning curve that they had to work through. Our cameras should be up in July.
I know there are some who think video cameras are an unaccpetable invasion of privacy. Unfortunately, this is simply a necessary trade-off to undo an ingrained perception. Video is an incredibly powerful criminal deterrent and law enforcement tool.
I recall the story about a public housing complex who had a coke machine repeatedly vandalized. Everyone in the complex knew “Little Johnny” was doing it, except his momma, who remained in denial. The day after the video camera went up, Little Johnny was caught in the act.
They showed his momma the tape, and they have not had any more problems with the coke machine. Word got around fast. I don’t think they’ve had any more problems whatsoever from Little Johnny. Video is a worth a million words…even to those blinded by the love they have for their child.
As an aside, I think cameras in the schools and on school buses would resolve MANY disciplinary problems. When he gets in trouble, my oldest child is constantly claiming he was provoked or acted in self-defense. He’s ALWAYS the guy the ref flags for unsportsmanlike conduct, but NEVER the guy who started it. It would be nice to see the instant replay, so I could be sure the punishment I exact most accurately fits the crime.
Thanks again for a great post.
Actually, you can count me as one of those with a problem with cameras downtown. If the crime is indeed as low as you say it is, and personally I believe it is, cameras aren’t necessary…just a good PR campaign would do the trick of changing attitudes about downtown.
It’s not that I don’t think cameras would work. It’s that I think that just because something works, doesn’t make it right. I just don’t see the cameras as a good thing.
Well we must not be learning much. Clubs and music would bring downtown to life! It’s been discussed before and is always shot down by the Bible-thumpers.
Only because people in this city listen to the Bible-thumpers far to often. However, I think the time is right for that to change and a nightlife to pick up in downtown. The approval of Sunday alcohol sales in restaurants was a huge loss for those who try and press religion onto everyone else, so I don’t think they should be that much of a barrier anymore.
So long as they’re far enough away from the various churches downtown of course.
Here’s another couple of thoughts on the privacy concerns raised by video cameras:
What’s the real privacy difference in a camera that “watches” a lot of good people all day and night and occasionally happens to capture a crook in the act, and a real live officer who “watches” a lot of good people while walking his beat and occasionally captures a crook in the act?
Either way you slice it, some good, hard-working, citizens are still being “watched.”
No one would begrude, if truly needed, more officers on the street. Is there any real difference, from a privacy standpoint, in six pair of patrolman eyes scanning the streets and the lenses of a dozen well-positioned video cameras?
I wouldn’t want to go to an ATM that didn’t have a video camera. I wouldn’t want to make a cash deposit or withdrawal in a bank that didn’t have video cameras all over the place. Convenience stores are often held civilly liable for crimes occuring on their premises when their video equipment is not working properly or is absent altogether. Video surveillance is a fantastic technological advance enjoyed by modern society. Why should we sacrifice our privacy in the name of safety ONLY when we are cashing our paychecks or buying a SlimJim?
There are some high-falluting (sic) California cities that are saving millions by spending more and more of their public safety money on city-wide video coverage, rather than officer salaries, exploding pension liabilities, skyrocketing health benefits, patrol cars, uniforms, weapons, training, etc. I suspect video will become an increasingly larger part of law enforcement as city populations continue to outgrow their financial resources.
Here are some interesting links on the subject:
http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/97/05/
http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/?p=article&id=ss200905c7kwET
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-09-09-chicago-surveillance_x.htm
I think the potential tax savings would justify the privacy loss.
In my mind, there is one key difference, and that’s focus. An officer will primarily focus on those who seem more suspicious, such as people wearing gang colors/insignias or wearing concealing clothing in hot weather, things that will tip off an officer that maybe this person means trouble. A camera doesn’t. Instead, it watches everyone and everything whether they need watching or not.
It may seem like a small thing, but I don’t see it that way only because it’s just one step closer to living in something that feels a lot like a police state. Is it there? Hardly. But I figure I should fight the fight now, rather than later.
As promised, here are some Downtown Crime Stats for the area west of the Flint River to Davis St. and south of Residence Ave to Whitney Ave. It is a bit larger area than “downtown,” but illustrative. It would be easier to view if I could figure out how to upload a spreadsheet.
Part I Crime Incidents Annual
2007 2008
Downtown/City ——Downtown/City
Homicide
0 12 0 11
Rape
3 33 2 40
Robbery
12 207 12 239
Aggravated Assault
11 389 22 701
Violent Crime Total 26 641 36 991
Burglary
39 1520 41 1630
Larceny
114 3609 128 3449
MV Theft
17 369 16 388
Arson
2 39 1 26
Property Crime Total
172 5537 186 5493
Part I Crime Total
198 6178 222 6484
Part II Crime Incidents Annual
Forgery/Counterfeit
20 252 8 279
Liquor Law Violations
19 253 21 191
Narcotic Drug Law Violations
5 128 7 156
Simple Assault
29 85 33 95
Public Disturbance
49 935 44 578
Vandalism
50 1887 100 2522
Reported Part II Crime Total
172 3540 213 3821
All Reported Crime
370 9718 435 10305
Basically, that boils down to 3.8% of all reported crime. Seriously, that’s not much at all. When you look at violent crime, which are the scariest crimes, we’re still looking at 4.05%, which is still a small percentage.
Commissioner Langstaff, are there any estimates for how many people visit downtown each year? It would help put these numbers in even better perspective for folks.
Bob, stop pouring more money into downtown! The city should emphasize debt reduction, not piling up more indebtedness against the taxpayers. Letting a shady character like Buie build more housing downtown (with borrowed money) is obscene at a time when the local housing market is already flooded.
On another note, since the civic center was built almost three decades ago, I am certain its indebtedness is almost paid off, right?
Bob, you said: it is ludicrous to me to have a $30 million aquarium across the street from a structure with a roof caving in.
Yes, but it is ludicrous to me for Albany to have a $30 million dollar aquarium in the first place. By the way, when will it become financially self-sufficient (at least cash flow neutral)?
Jack, I don’t know how else to convince you that downtown MUST not be abandoned, other than what I have written above. I’m not sure what you think the “housing” is exactly, but we’re talking pretty small scale, niche stock for students or young professionals that is not currently available in this market otherwise. Other downtowns have this type of housing stock. With ASU so close, it seem rationale. Again, we’re talking about starting small, and seeing if it’s sustainable.
As for the civic center, $5.5 million in civic center bond debt was budgeted to be repaid with SPLOST V. $3.9 million has been expended on bond repayment thus far. Bond retirement is one of the few way SPLOST can be used outside of capital imrovements.
Yes, in hindsight I must agree with you about the $30 million aquarium. I must also point out that the City did not have a thing to do with building it or funding its construction. The City is just being called on NOW to subsidize its operation. My guess is it will NEVER be self-sufficient. Few things of this nature are.
This is true of the $1 mill annual subsidy to Chehaw as well. I have researched this in the past, and it is my understanding that there is not a single zoo in the country that is self-sufficient…not the San Diego Zoo, not the National Zoo in D.C..
So, what does that mean? Do we shut them all down? That’s harldy the most efficient use of these resources…now that we have them. The sensible question to me is: Given that now have them, what is the proper level of subsidy?
I have recently looked at economic impact numbers for facilities like the Riverquarium and Chehaw. I can provide that if anyone is interested. Looking at the numbers it does appear that we are getting substantial economic bang for our bucks. However, we need to set a cap on how much we spend to “buy” these type of dollars for our community. Otherwise, it quickly becomes a never ending pit.
As an aside, the RQ is actually owned by the GA DNR. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get them to take it over as sort of a flagship SWGA DNR facility? The state operates several local museums and attractions across the state. Why not the RQ as well?
Bob,
First of all, I am not certain what housing “niche” you think these proposed new dwellings will fill. As you know, ASU has a significant dormitory base of its own and these buildings will not be able to compete with them, either on price or convenience. Second, it is exceedingly difficult for me to imagine that many young professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc.) will want to live in rented apartments downtown as you suggest. If we take your colleagues in the legal profession as an example, I suspect that less than 5% of the local bar lives within a one mile radius of the Dougherty County Courthouse. If we take local doctors as a group, the number would be even less.
Since you seem to agree with me that projects such as Riverquarium, Civic Center and Chehaw will continue to bleed money and require constant infusions from the already abused taxpayers of Albany-Dougherty County, I would suggest the following:
1) Stop building new projects that are not self-sufficient. We are bleeding enough with the ones we have. Did we really need a $600,000 arch over the Oglethorpe bridge? Did you think that we needed the arch so desperately that you needed to take from taxpayers to pay for such a vital expenditure?
2) Exercise mature judgement on spending decisions. The tricycles for the police are a disgraceful waste. Didn’t someone on the commission have the courage to say no?
3) If you are serious about promoting economic growth, firing a few of the imbeciles in the misnamed “code enforcement” department (a more accurate name would be the Albany Job Export Department) would be a good start. We have now reached a point where Albany has become a free-fire zone for gangs, yet we have money to send these cretins to hamper honest businesses.
4) Another initiative would be for those of you in the City/County government to recognize just how damaging the County’s Sinyard property tax reevaluations are.
5) Why are we subsidizing something like the Hilton Garden Inn? Are other local hotels subsidized? If this investment can stand on its own why does it need a subsidy? If it can’t stand on its own, why are the taxpayers exposed to it and why were its developers guaranteed a return on their investment?
Jack,
Remember that the point is to figure out something to do with what we have downtown. That could be tearing things down. It could be putting them to a higher and better use.
You seem to be thinking about large dwellings. What we’re talking about is a very small number of housing units above retail. Moultrie, Valdosta, etc. have this sort of thing. Perhaps I can find you an article about dowtown living. Check out:
http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/
In response to your points:
1 I am unhappy with the arch. I am also unhappy that you think I or the city had anything to do with it. The county funded the arch through ATI, but did not have direct control over the end product. I have yet to find someone who admits to approving the final design concept. I do not believe it turned out as intended. It was because of projects like the arch which I believe justified the transfer of efforts from ATI to an entity like ADICA which can be held more accountable (if nothing else, through me). However, I must confess that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I took a client who was up from Florida to the RQ about a week ago. We also drove under the arch. Without prompting, he commented about how nice the arch was, and was shocked that Albany had so much to offer. He was expecting a sleepy little town, and was just blown over with Albany.
2 The trikes cost $10k a piece. Two were bought which is within the city manager’s $40k authority. They do have some redeeming qualities, and may very well be smarter than some other choices out there that do the same thing. Check out http://www.t3motion.com/ to get some details on them.
3 Did you have a particular problem you are upset about? I interact with director Mike Tilson, and I can assure you he is no embecile. He and I do not always agree, but he is a sharp, hard-working asset to this community. If you have a concern about a particular employee, please let me know.
4 The public should know that the county was under a state mandate to do the re-evaluations. The returned tax values were too far out of whack with the prices reported on property sales. The siren went off at the state, and the county gets the re-evaluation ultimatum. It is not an evil plot to raise taxes. Truth be known, the millage rate could have been rolled back to nullify any increase in property re-evaluation. The city did that. Anytime there is a re-evaluation you are going to have mistakes. Lots of properties were re-valued on appeal. The re-evaluation project was too large to do in-house. There are only a handful of companies across the country that do re-evaluations. Did the county select the wrong one? I have no idea. Everytime there is a county-wide re-evaluation in GA you get this kind of response. Nobody likes it. I will tell you that the re-evaluation was long over due. It would have been less painful to have done it a decade ago. Several years ago I stumbled upon properties in DoCo on the golf course that sold for $500k but were only being taxed on a FMV of around $300k. That’s $200k left on the table. Who pays for that? You and me. I bought a rental house a few years back for $40k that was being taxed at $65k. Go figure.
5 The hotel wouldn’t be here without a sweetheart loan subsidy. No other hotels are subsidized. It could not exist but for the subsidy. I don’t know what you mean by a guaranteed return. I am sure the developer made great money building the hotel with the subsidies, but there is no guaranteed return. The rich get richer, but that’s America. The developer was smart enough to know the HUD money was available. What did you want to do with the money exactly? The money came as an advance from annual HUD payments to the city that could only have been used for very limited things. It is part of the blessing/curse you get for living in an entitlement city. Would you rather the HUD money be used to build some more low income housing? As you said, I think we have enough of that. If we had to raise taxes to build the hotel, I’d say it was a bad idea. But we didn’t. Some would say send the money back to Washington. You and I know that ain’t going to happen. It again comes down to: You got it. What’s the best thing you can do with it?
Bob, as an Albany-Dougherty county taxpayer, whether money is wasted by the county or wasted by the city matters little to me. The fact that no one is accountable for the vast sums spent on the arch is beyond disgraceful. Saying that our money will be wasted better by ADICA than ATI gives me little solace. The fact that Don Buie only recently completed a pre-trial intervention program arising from his recent arrest gives me even less comfort that he can be trusted to manage this project. I appreciate that your friend from Florida thought the arch was cute, but with all due respect, he didn’t get stuck with the bill. I would submit to you this $600,000+ was a shameful waste.
Regarding the police tricycles, I note the police have cars, trucks and even golf carts for downtown. Somehow, a $10,000 tricycle does not seem like an essential expense. The APD have serious problems (note the additional three fired a few days ago). These problems are deep and long growing. Tricycles won’t solve them.
We have people like Tilson running around (with guns, yet!) harrassing business people about signs, meanwhile it’s not safe to deliver a pizza in Albany. My concern is that it appears that Tilson and his employees are unable to function in a private, competitive marketplace outside of government and, instead, have chosen a field (at taxpayer’s expense) where they can harrass those more successful and intelligent than they themselves. It would be a far better service to the community to terminate these indiviuals and devote their misspent salaries to fighting violent crime (preferably with something other than tricycles).
You may not know that the county suggested the wrong appraiser, but as an injured property owner, I do know this, and I look forward to casting a vote against Sinyard in the next election.
If you truly want to not leave “money on the table,” as you put it, you should investigate the taxability of the properties Phoebe has purchased and taken off the tax rolls. Certainly the hospital is exempt, but how broadly is “hospital” defined? Certainly if we have a strong willed leader willing to take on Phoebe (I am here, obviously not referring to Hodges or Sinyard, both of whom are in its pay), some progress might actually be made for the rest of us. Given that we pay for both city and county attorneys (well maybe not–the county attorney’s wife is also in the pay of Phoebe), at least one of them could give you an opinion that may allow you to represnt your constituents against an organization that is distroying us. Call this wicked, but if P&G gets run out of town due to the greed and incompetence that plagues this city, I hope we have a demonstration worse than anything the French had when they brought down the bastille.
I appreciate the hotel wouldn’t be here without a subsidy. The fact that it needed one tells you something about its actual viability on the one hand, and the fact that it actually got it is an example of the gullibility of our leaders on the other. It would also be worth adding that giving this organization a subsidized loan is a slap in the face to every other establishment in town that competes against them.
In conclusion, I reject your argument that says “We’ve wasted millions of dollars on aquarium, arch, etc., and it’s regrettable, but now we need to spend good money after bad. And by the way, folks, don’t blame me for these messes. Somebody else did it.”
Stop the bleeding. Stop the building. Divert watever moneys left to debt reduction and go after Phoebe before it destroys the community’s few remaining large empoyers.
It is interesting timing for this discussion, but the front page of today’s Albany Herald shows Bo Henry being harrassed by Tilson and his taxpayer-supported crew of cretins.
That’s it guys! Let’s target the poster-boy for economic success in Albany and see how much distress we can cause him. After all, he only provides jobs and tax revenue–we certainly don’t want some Doublegate busybody getting upset that he has (gasp!)—a SIGN!
Fire Tilson and company. If the City is paying him more than $0.50 per hour, he’s being overpaid and I am confident any number of rhesus monkeys could be hired to better represent the city.
In all fairness to Mr. Tilson, he’s charged with enforcing building codes, including the sign ordinance. While Bo Henry’s citation shouldn’t have occured, it has been dealt with and Mr. Henry is off the hook…for now. Let’s not blame the messanger for the message after all.
The problem is the sign ordinance. We will have a post up at noon dealing with that in particular. I hope Mr. Langstaff will join in the discussion there as well.
Tom, the sad part about this situation is that the government parasites who pull these type of shenanigans have no idea what it takes to run a business in a competitive environment. I appreciate that “Bo is off the hook,” but there’s no accounting for the aggravation and distraction that this kind of nonsense causes someone who actually has to work for a living.
The real question is why are we paying someone like Tilson to pester businesspeople when there are so many real problems in our community. His salary would be far better spent if allocated for additional policemen. As far as the sign ordinance goes, the parties that pushed it appear to be doctors wives and busybodies with no concept of the private sector. Does this foolishness encourage businesses to open here and create jobs?
I understand completely. The sign ordinance is pretty high up on my list of dislikes about the city right now, since it hurts small businesses who need all the help they can get right now.
Like I said, the post at 12:00 noon will address the sign ordinance specifically. In particular, my thoughts on it.
I began addressing the sign ordinance on the noon post.
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