When I read about the Target project I was reminded of
some advice I received some years ago from an employee
of the MCDA.
I asked my MCDA friend (he left the MCDA some time
after) for some advice on a proposal I was submitting
for a small parcel of land being sold by the MCDA. He
said I had the development idea right, it looked like
a good, sensible proposal to him. He went on to say
that my proposal would never be accepted by the MCDA.
Being confused because he liked it, I asked what I
should do different. His recommendation went something
like this.
Imagine the MCDA is a women you want to get into bed.
You need to focus on doing and saying everything which
will get you to that goal. Once you have convinced her
to spend the night with you, you have won.
When she wakes up in the morning you can begin to
treat her different, and make new demands on her. She
will go along with you because to do else wise would
be to admit that she made a mistake in bedding you in
the first place. Being rather slow on the uptake I
asked for him to use my current proposal as an example
of how to proceed.
Simple. Find out what the MCDA wants and promise to
give them what they want. Your whole goal is to get
them "into bed" with you. In my case it was a small
project so he said talk to the local neighborhood
association and include anything they want as well so
they will support your proposal.
OK, I got that part. But now hwat do I do with a
project that doessn't make any sense to me?
He went on. Once you have won the project, you can
almost assume there will be some delays, if not create
some. Soon it will need to be delayed until the next
building season. After a while return to the MCDA and
tell them (now that you are in bed together) markets
have changed, some new issues have come to light, the
financing people have some problems, yada, yada, yada,
and begin to change your proposal to match more
closely what you wanted in the first place. The MCDA
will have two options. Throw you out of bed, or agree
that things have changed and support your changes.
Since to throw you out would mean they a) made a
mistake in picking you in the first place and b) they
would have to start the whole process again, they will
most likely support your changes. If there are some
they can't stomach, they will probably come up with
some additional financial support to have you follow
at least those wishes.
Kind of cynical. I got out of that kind of project. If
you don't believe it was good advice, read the article
again. Here's one quote as a teaser "It's like being a
little bit pregnant," Barbara Johnson said. "How do
you back away from something you've started?" Sounds
like Barbara, pardon the analogy, had been to bed with
someone.
Then read the article on "Development Consultants Have
their own Motives." The article tells how Yanisch
responded to a newspaper ad against the project, using
comments almost verbatim as prepared by Ryan. Sounds
like they had some pillow talk.
Read the last paragraph of the article where SSB says,
"I am going to have to subsidize a grocery store.
Don't want to. But a grocery store has so many other
places that it wants to go to." Now imagine you are a
potential developer. Imagine what a difficult time you
will have negotiating with the city on this one.
One last aside. SSB says "I am going to have to
subsidize...." There are 26,000 people living downtown
now. They moved there without a grocery, they (from
what I understand) are not starving due to a lack of
accessibility to food and lastly, the subsidy does not
come from SSB. It comes from all of us. I personally
do not care to subsidize a downtown grocery.
I think Lisa's letter to the editor comes close to
what I would like to see. Fund the next level of NRP,
merge the MCDA with Planning and use the limited funds
that would still be available to accomplish smaller
targeted projects in the neighborhoods.
Bob Gustafson
SW
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
_______________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy
Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more:
http://e-democracy.org/mpls
