Tax subsidy backer cites St. Louis blight - Virginia Young (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 8)
Imagine the possibility of a massive state-backed subsidy for large-scale urban revitalization in St. Louis.
Bet you don't imagine it being spearheaded by senators from St. Charles County, arriving in a hurry with little warning and with almost no knowledge of the proposal among St. Louis development insiders.
What could be carefully-crafted, responsible policy seems to be rushed and made without the insights of those with the experience at the "tough sledding" of development work in depressed parts of St. Louis.
With some refinement, such a policy proposal might be appropriate. At the moment, the proposal raises concerns in St. Louis.
Friday, February 9, 2007
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3 comments:
I could be very supportive of such a proposal if I could see that it included strongly worded safeguards of fair housing, due process and equal protection under the law, to protect the rights of displaced residents. I also feel that it should include an ability for the money to apply to new and rehab projects, and projects which include demolition of national and local historic districts would not be eligible.
Rehabs should be a required portion of the project. The 75 acre thing should be eliminated -- let any willing and qualified developer get a slice of the pie.
And yeah, no demolition in historic districts!
With the MO state historic rehab tax credit, these could be a powerful pair of incentives. Anyone who wouldn't use both is unimaginative and must have some weird grudge against old buildings in north city.
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