The Albany Herald today has a story about potential investors who are supposedly interested in coming to downtown Albany…provided the city comes through with some “incentive” for them apparently. These developers are full of great words and lofty ideas, but they don’t come without any strings attached. One developer says to the Herald “But the people I’m talking with are not ready to put their money on the table until they get some kind of genuine commitment from your community. We’re looking for a couple of indicators of support before we’re willing to initialize a capital campaign in earnest.”
That “geniune commitment”? If it ain’t money, then I want to know what it is, especially since the article also targets the Dougherty County Taxpayer’s Association and their bid to block the $6 million bond.
The problem I have with all of this is pretty basic. We are going to have all these businesses move into downtown Albany, but our tax dollars are going to subsidize these businesses, just like they are subsidizing the Hilton Gardens. Now, supporters argue that this is necessary to attract business to town and create a thriving urban center in downtown Albany.
Me? I call it bovine excrement.
What we are doing is mitigating the risk for these private developers, so they can reap the profits if things pan out, but not lose nearly so much if they don’t…if they lose anything at all should it collapse. Why on Earth should we fund rich developers? The City is claiming that they’re doing “due diligence” on these developers. That’s just ducky. Why not get some that don’t require a handout from the taxpayers of Dougherty County in order to come and make a profit, huh?
Color it however you want, but nothing at all will change what it is. While Albany natives are struggling to keep their own businesses afloat, our city officials are looking outside of town to spend money on what amounts to a “pet project” that they have yet to convince us that it’s truly essential for Albany’s well being.
Part of the plan is to lure people to live downtown. Why? Why is this so blasted important? Why does it matter where the hell anyone lives? Why in the hell should we pay out to try and lure people to a part of town that no one currently wants to live because no one who knows the area wants to develop homes?
Here’s a thought for the City Commission: Why not let the market take care of downtown. If it doesn’t do the job, then maybe it’s just not meant to be!
