The New Albany Tribune has consistently endorsed Scribner Place, so yesterday’s editorial in defense of the project does not come as a complete surprise.
Just the same, it is a timely and welcomed statement of principle in the run-up to next Thursday's City Council vote.
NA Confidential especially appreciates a newfound firmness in the Tribune's editorial tone, as well as its implied exasperation with the demagoguery of certain amateurs among the City Council members, those who remain publicly ignorant of accounting principles even as they lecture trained professionals to the contrary.
Unfortunately, the Tribune still does not archive editorials on-line, so here is the complete text.
SCRIBNER PLACE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD
“The city of New Albany is strapped for money. In fact, if Mayor James Garner is unable to secure a $500,000 loan request from the sewer utility, cuts may have to be made. There may be layoffs and or department cuts.
“However, the Scribner Place project should not become a casualty of these cuts. Money to fund the downtown development, which will include a swimming pool and YMCA, will not come out of the general fund. Caesars Foundation of Indiana has already promised $20 million over the next 20 years for the project. Also, $400,000 a year in Economic Development Income Tax funds have also been promised through a City Council resolution. Those funds can not be used for general fund expenditures – so they can not help New Albany out of its current mess. The City Council also will have to secure a $13 million bond to help finish off the project.
“None of these funds could help the city out of its financial problems. Hopefully, the City Council will do the right thing and move forward approving the required dollars for the construction of Scribner Place.
“The YMCA is coming to New Albany. The Y currently is raising money to build a new facility downtown. But, to make the downtown project complete, the city needs to live up to its promise.
“Scribner Place should not be used as a political football. It’s one of the best ideas for downtown New Albany to come out of the mayor’s office in years. It will help put life into a downtown area that could use a boost.
“With a $20 million gift from Caesar’s staring us in the face, there is no way we should put the project on hold. We should do what other progressive cities would do, move forward and improve our downtown area.”
Note the date of the preceding: Thursday, May 12, 2005. On that date, New Albany’s newspaper of record editorially linked progress with improvement of New Albany’s downtown area.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I strongly agree that the Scribner Place project should move forward. I also believe that it's location could be an attraction to other businesses to come back to downtown. New Albany's downtown, along Pearl St., Market St., are cluttered with empty storefronts. With the YMCA/Scribner Place, more people will be coming downtown. Send out "feelers" to major stores, clothing stores, specialty shops like Spencer's, and restaurant chains, and invite them to see the potential here. Offer incentives to these businesses on the order of having the new business remodel the facade if the storefront, in exchange for reduced tax for a certain number of years to be determined. In New Albany's heyday, we had Sear's downtown, we had F.W. Woolworth's, and W.T. Grant. Stores would stay open on Friday and Saturday nights. Sidewalks would be packed with people, much like the Malls of today. Parking was then, trulely a problem. Now, you can find a parking spot anywhere you want. Stretching imagination further...On Market Street in the block where The Grand Theatre is, could be "Entertainment Row". The Grand could start showing movies again. There could be a connector walkway, like the hospital and Professional Arts building has, from the Grand to the old Fair Store building. In the Fair Store, would be a kids place. A true "Fair", with an indoor carnival with a merry-go-round, and an arcade, and maybe pool tables. It could also house supplies such as car seats, toys, and baby needs. A Disney Store on the corner of Pearl & Market where a Gun Shop is now located would be fantastic. On Friday or Saturday nights, the one block area of Market Street could be closed to traffic, and opened for entertainment on the scale of 4th St. Live in Louisville. Local restaurants could set up booths and a portable stage could be moved into a central location, and local bands could play. My main point is that there are so many possibilities. There are so many openings for downtown, but now is the time to act. Now is the time to decide if Scribner is all that's going to be here. Now is the time to say to ourselves, "do we want all of these people to come here...just to go swimming at the "Y" and then go home?" Personally, I say NO. I think that we should do all that can be done to bring full life back to downtown, and not just give it CPR and a bandaid in the form of Scribner Place.
Regarding my previous comment...Yeah...I forgot to run "Spellcheck"!
Post a Comment