I remember when I first looked at the blather on the Hollman-Near North redevelopment I thought I saw the idea that the project wanted to reconnect these areas. I didn't understand, for as long as I lived here there has never been a connection from north to south except along Lyndale or Wirth Parkway. But maybe I misread the sales material. The problem with the connection has everything to do with building cute public works projects as opposed to housing. Every penny put into this connection is one less penny in present housing. As near as I can figure this looks like just a more scenic route to Lunds for the new near northside gentry J.C. wants. In an ideal world this is a great project but there are considerable expenses that will be incurred at a time when our capital improvement and infrastructure budgets are already stretched pretty thin. Yeah, it would be great to clean the brownfields surrounding Bassett's Creek and open up the channel through the Hollman project and put the creek back on its original course. Yeah it would be great to move some of the industry but at what cost. Where will Leef Industries go? How much will it cost to relocate them? Pioneer Paper? Yeah. Once again, where will they go. This is also an area where the price is right for a new young company to locate and then do we inhibit that business development when we take the building they are housed in? What will that cost us if they move out of the city? for that matter what will happen to all the jobs in that neighborhood? There is a disturbing trend I see whereby we are trying to de-industrialize the city. It could backfire on us if all of a sudden costs of doing some of the things we do now rise too greatly. What happens when a metal recycler is closed down and forced to move? Does the cost to recycle then rise and make recycling less economically advantageous? How about when we eliminate every ounce of concrete produced in the city? Does this raise construction costs? How about lumber yards like Scherer and Bennett? What effect does this have on costs. I can tell you from being in the transportation business that distance from market impacts cost. Do I like the north-south boulevard from Hollman? I would have liked it a lot more had the Guthrie stayed near the Parade Grounds and the MPRB was trading for land adjacent to Bryn Mawr Fields and the N-S Blvd. But that's a can of worms I best not dip into. I think the concern on the part of some on the Council is that action now on this matter sets the city on a course we're not so sure we can afford right now. As not a shovelful of dirt has been turned or a nail driven through a 2x4 (except for the big sign listing the "accomplishment" of our city leaders) on the north end of this project as yet, I would agree. When Paul Ostrow and Barrett Lane are shaking their heads at a deal, I get worried. Tim Connolly Ward 7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
