At 1:29 PM -0500 9/2/04, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Is it safe to assume that if Joe Schmoe created two jobs (selling things to Gander* Mtn's 200 employees, e.g.) downtown, he would get $15,000? Wait a minute... 200 jobs times "up to $3,000 per job" equals up to $600k....hmmm... If Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe moved 20 lawyers here, they should get $150k (or $60k, whatever the case may be).
There is a difference between 2, 20 and 200 jobs going into a space that was vacated by a deal gone wrong with US Bank (I will explain further in a moment). But that being said there are opportunities for small Mom-n-Pop places to get assistance from the City, State, and Feds. YEA THEY DO PAY YOU TO HIRE PEOPLE!!! You just have to know where to ask and be willing to fill out all the necessary forms. Nice thing about most small business is they don't want to fill out even more forms than they have to already so they don't take advantage of what is out there for them.
On what exactly will the $1.5M be spent? Who decides that?
Knowing the building and the fact that US Bank trashed (I mean tossed into the trash containers of office furniture and everything just last week) everything to the bare walls it is probably to make it a workable space and cover some of the relocation costs that will be incurred should they move in.
A Gander Mountain retail outlet might've been even better, or could/should be added. My current visitor wants to buy a MN Vikings jersey and I have no idea where to go for one in St. Paul.
Yea that would be nice, and maybe they will find that out. If you have past their recent new store north of the Cities at the junction of 35E & W , you would be impressed with the amount of traffic they generate... maybe not the building (you know it's a big box with a nice front). I know there is a market for one of their stores in the immediate area, since Joe's moved further out on Rice St there really isn't a place that has lots of Fishing, Camping, Outdoor Gear, and oh yea GUNS!!! LOL
But who wouldn't be for them coming to town? The price just seems a wee high,
Is the price that high? I know that an additional 50 customers a day means we can re-hire an employee for the coffeeshop located in the talked about building. I think some of the other retailers in the area will also see an increase in the number of customers. It will help Faulty Towers.
The nice thing is that it is tied to the number of jobs they are bringing in and if they leave in a few years the company has to pay back the money. This is like the grant programs they have for home owners who want to fix up their property, live there for 10 years and the loan is forgiven move you pay it back. This is not a US Bank deal... here is a ton of money we trust you not to relocate workers from DT to your new places elsewhere, and SLAM they do just that.
SO, I am oppose funding people to move their businesses around, I like this idea at least cause it has some stipulations involved that make sure they will be here for some time (and I will personally benefit). And who knows this is a growing company they may end up taking up more and more space in DT St Paul.
IF it happens, and it is all still kinda up in the air, and I wonder if it isn't more of the Mayor's people's trying to show they are doing something, anything to fill the huge vacancy rate in DT.. (You know the one created by the departure by so many State Agencies that took up space about 5 years ago and have now left, as I predicted they would and was told I was nuts to think the state could build space for them so fast :-) ), it will be a better deal than we usually do with Corporations when we "Help them out" with government handouts.
Maybe there is hope for the city if they negotiate like this instead of the way things were done before with a wink and a nod.
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Sincerely,
John Birrenbach
W 7th Neighborhood, St Paul MN
=== Political & Business Consulting ===
http://www.birrenbach.com/
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"Six years on the council has trained me to feign interest for long periods of time"
Chris Coleman Jan 21, 2004
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Unless it is something you think I will find funny don't reply personally, if it's relevant to a post I made then post it to the list for everyone to see. I have no problem being challenged in public. Challenge me in private and you take your chances.
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