As a Downtown office building owner, I may have an obvious bias with subsidizing the private sector...but I've been the most vocal critic of corporate welfare. In my opinion, this kind of subsidy is not necessarily bad for the taxpayer or the City in general. The devil is in the details. We have had many years of "bait and switch" proposals from our recent Mayors and some City Councils. What we were told we were getting, was much different than reality. When the Mayor's real intent is to funnel public dollars to his private sector friends, the public's interest suffers. If all the Coleman subsidies worked, we wouldn't be in the worst shape we've ever had. The Gander Mountain proposal is to subsidize for filling a vacancy, not to build new unnecessary space, not to move people out of the core, not a simple give-away for nothing in return. At least I hope that is the case. Once the City makes the financial commitment we need to see they enforce the deal and make sure Gander Mountain delivers on their promise. Unlike US bank or Principal Mutual or Conseco etc. The only reason Gander Mountain is looking at Saint Paul is because the rental rates are so cheap. Again remember that was the City's own doing. If we begin to fill our office space, rates will increase along with property valuation. That means an increase in tax base. To answer the question of what else can be done to attract new tenants and investment: Invest a healthy amount of money in infrastructure i.e. streetscapes, parks, lighting, skyways, District heat and cooling, then keep the streets clean, maintained and safe. If we spent the $200 million Coleman gave away to a handful of corporate supporters, we would have the most attractive downtown rental market in Minnesota and probably the country.
John Mannillo Downtown and Highland Park _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
