In reverse order, here are a few toxic questions to start the day, as transmitted on Twitter.
Readers may refer to "Dan Coffey is right: The UEA is not City Hall’s ATM" for background, and know that yesterday, the Urban Enterprise Association board voted down a funding request to provide money toward the building at 8th & Culbertson. It is rumored that another modified funding request is forthcoming today. More when NAC has time.
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190 days remain until change. Am I the only one detecting hints of desperation and whiffs of Götterdämmerung in the 8th & Culbertson saga? less than a minute ago
What does "Clean & Green" downtown beautification have to do with (a) the corner of 8th & Culbertson, and (b) with the Horseshoe Foundation? 3 minutes ago
The UEA captures statebound $ and uses it. Apart from its perceived value as an ATM, why is City Hall targeting the UEA at this time? 5 minutes ago
If the building at 8th & Culbertson is being viewed as future anchor for the Midtown "renaissance," shouldn't the neighborhood be consulted? 7 minutes ago
If the UEA's participation in the future Landmarks building at 8th & Culbertson was vital, why did the deal's planning go down without them? 9 minutes ago
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News from the Colonial Corner of 8th and Culbertson: Power corrupts.
The UEA was asked to help fund a neighborhood marketing study in 2009. Here's what one of the consultants who conducted that study has to say about the characteristics of a healthy neighborhood:
"A healthy neighborhood is a place where neighbors successfully manage neighborhood-related issues and neighborhood change."
David Boehlke, founder of the Healthy Neighborhoods group with whom the consultant often works says this:
"Prospective homeowners and
residents – not community development corporations, government agencies, or other
funders – are the most important neighborhood decision makers."
So how does this 8th and Culbertson situation stack up on the healthy neighborhood scale, given that the primary drivers of recent events are not Midtown residents but rather belong to the other, aforementioned groups?
Is the desired outcome the continuance of an unhealthy neighborhood power structure? Why is the neighborhood going through this a second time as it did with the Emery's ice cream auxiliary building during the disposition of which resident wishes were misrepresented?
I've heard the 6.7 million dollar SEJ grant was earmarked for single family homebuyers, but the largest of the renovated "homes" will be owned by landlords and turned into "rent houses," the largest of them more than likely containing more than one apartment (sorry - I mean "home").
Also interesting to note: the SEJ grant footprint was enlarged to include areas of the newly minted "Midtown" - an area far larger than the census tracts targeted by the federal grant.
I'm not sure what changes have been made along the way, but the original NSP plan called for multifamily housing at the Cardinal Ritter site via Family Scholar House. That deal apparently fell through pretty early on.
I seem to remember they planned to "house" about 12 people in the rear of the Ritter building. The space wasn't large enough for many multi-family apartments.
Had the city done it's job and enforced the building codes against owner of building at 8th & Culbertson, then there would not be a problem. The city has to pay. And then the city has to sue the slumlord for reimbursement.
Once the Mayor and extra-Mayor have to spend all their time on running down slumlords, oh, wait, I'm in New Albany...
A map of census tract 704, which serves as the general basis for Midtown, is available here (PDF):
A map of the actual, in-practice Midtown area is here.
As compared to census tract 704, a small area between Spring and Culbertson and 5th and 8th was included. Main Street was not. Given the swap, they seem to be roughly the same size.
If nothing else, Gina, the owner could/should be facing multiple fines. That would provide leverage in any city-involved sales negotiation, just as it would have during initial NSP purchases.
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