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Thursday, September 20, 2007

Mailbag; Mr. Connors Writes: Re. Redevelopment Union Street

(Ed. note: This was submitted as a comment and I have posted it for better visibility.)


Bill Connors has left a new comment on your post "Minutes: Redevelopment Authority:, Tuesday, Sept ...":

If redevelopment of Union St. between N. Madison St. and E. Main St. is going to happen sooner than 25 years (or more) from now, the city somehow has to convince the Adams Roofing people to redevelop their large parcel (meaning raze the existing structures and build something new) or to sell the property to someone who wants to redevelop it. The Adams Roofing people are notorious for not being interested in redeveloping their properties (there are plenty of Janesville Gazette artciles about this). So if the city merely intends to adopt a plan and then wait to see if property owners do anything, the plan will collect a lot of dust while nothing happens, because nothing can happen without the redevelopment of this large, central parcel.

Bill Connors

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:45 AM

    Some random thoughts here:
    I thought that the imput at the meeting from Adams was very positive. Mr. Adams comments were such that it seemed as though he was open to discussion and wanted to know more information. Could be he was just posturing, leading one to believe he was in favor of it until he has to write a check for it.
    On the other hand, could the city exercise it's eminant domain, once the area is in a TIF? I am sure they could find some clause or ordinance to buy his property at fair market value and then do what they want with it?
    Here is another scenario as well,
    The area proceeds with redevelopement and his tennants leave for better accomadations, would probably give someone cause to examine the cost benefit of rehabing the property.

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  2. All:

    The video of Mr. Adams comments are at:http://evansvilleobserver.blogspot.com/2007/08/adams-and-sons-speaks.html

    Rather than be unsolitious of current landowners, or design a stratgey of stealing tenants, I think it better to "woo" several commercial businesses with the prospect of newer quarters in the new industrial commercial venue on the East side, and make it a win, win situation. I think use of TIF to accomplish this is appropriate and moreover, I think that in the video when Mr. Adams says "if it makes business sense" that is what he is suggesting.

    I don't know the history of Janesville re Adams, but I did not get a sense of hostility to change from him at the meeting.

    ReplyDelete