Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Rumor
I was out and about yesterday, having a cup of coffee, when I heard a most interesting conversation nearby. Two people who evidentally are involved with or well aquainted with the uptown artist initiative were talking. They indicated that the cost of rehabbing one of the uptown buildings will be almost $1 million. They also indicated that the city would sell the two units for $200,000 each. If these people are correct, the city is planning on a loss of $600,000 to bring two artists to Racine, or to relocate two artists already in Racine. I have called Mayor Becker's office to confirm, deny, or clarify. I will update this posting if I hear from the mayor.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
I'm sure they will jump right on that.
That was all ready in the paper.
The first building the city bought was falling down. this will be such a money pit. As has been coverd in other blogs. the same City in KY has contacted Racine busness about moving to that City with lower taxes and crime!~!
But we have a Grant Writer!!
I am not oposed to new ideas but they should make sense
Overhearing a conversation -great factual reporting.
turd alert:
"Overhearing a conversation -great factual reporting."
READ THE TITLE OF THE THREAD YOU FREAKING MORON!
Blogger Caledonication said...
READ THE TITLE OF THE THREAD YOU FREAKING MORON!
---------------------------------
Don't self depricate now calidona...everything is OK...
"Don't self depricate now calidona...everything is OK..."
As a service to the actual contributors of this blog, I occasionally will come down to your level. This way, they don't need to waste their time or energy correcting you. Fortunately, I can always find the time to do those things which I enjoy.
* pssst! hey, you are still spelling like a three year old. *
Funny, I don't see any 'real' contributions on this blog...just a right wing coffee clatch...
Don't let the door hit you in the ass.
Renovating old buildings is expensive, especially in this material age when mostly everyone is trying to get your dollar without giving you a dollar's worth. I wish the City of Racine had training school re trades because there is a real need for restoration and utilization of great old solid buildings in need of reconditioning. Then you could combine a city project such as restoration with a vision such as a thriving artists community.
This trade school would be a 4 year alternative highschool and there would be a physical ed requirement - choose your martial art discipline and train you body and mind.
If Racine reconditioned what is here whether you are talking about a building or just a down and out local with no prospects Racine would begin to come back.
I say the residents of this city are more important than all the fancy taxbased thinking that goes on behind the scenes because the spirit of a place is the spirit of its residents.
"If Racine reconditioned what is here whether you are talking about a building or just a down and out local with no prospects Racine would begin to come back."
I'm not immediately disagreeing with this statement, but I am interested in why you think this to be true, CK.
"I say the residents of this city are more important than all the fancy taxbased thinking that goes on behind the scenes because the spirit of a place is the spirit of its residents."
Could you clarify what you mean by "fancy taxbased thinking that goes on behind the scenes" and "the spirit of its residents"? Again, I am not dismissing your comments, I'm just trying to get a better understanding of what you are saying.
Caledonication, even a beautiful building begins to look abject and neglected when it lies vacant and has no present purpose. Same is true for human beings. If you cannot answer why you are here, it is like not being here....not being connected. Like a building without heat, without light.
I have lived here 8 years and in that time I have met good people who have not given up and who are trying their best to make a go of their lives despite lack of jobs, lack of respect, lack of consideration. If you could strengthen hope by bringing in employment opportunities for the jobless, you rebuild the character of this city sure as you recondition its old building.
So I don't think Racine's comeback will take place because a few condos in the sky are filled with wealthy retirees. I think Racine will come back because its workers are working and its workers buy groceries and hardware and know their neighbors and have hope and ideas for a city that is home.
CK is right Racine comes back when folks start to care.
For far too long trouble was not talked about becuse the J-T would not cover any.My understanding is that the J-T would get an O.K. from J Wax before printing the paper With the Internet bringing about bloging youtube shows peer to peer networking the whole gambit of WEB 2.0 we can see folks come together for change.
CK is right again with a teck school to teach kids the trades and use them to help fix buildings would be cool.
Please do not giggle here but I once talked to Keith Fair about bring manufacures of Solar and wind plants to the City and in exchange for some of the run down buildings bring GOOD PAYING JOBS to the City. I should have done more with that at the time.
Yes all the artests are going to employ oh so many folks. Right go on main st see the galleries come and go.
The Uptown project will not work and I feel strongly that this will be one of the issues that will have our Mayor move on in 08.
Individual artists are not going to create jobs for others. However creating a model, environmentally-aware Root River watershed environment leads to growth greening businesses, which is a growing movement. It also is appropriate for trade schools and serious park programs. In Chicago there is a wonderful culinary institute. The Chicago Park District has classes in things like furniture repair. I know a woman who can repair anything well and she learned thru the Lincoln Park District.
I like the idea of utilizing talents that are here.....like a serious Guardian Angels' training facility - with martial arts offered and taught by the Martial Arts School that Sangho Cho has opened on Wisconsin. The Bray Center could host.
Uptown is a striking junction but the highway runs through it and now dominates the area. Uptown needs to be declared a pedestrian zone. All the highway amenities (the big pots, the colored sidewalks etc.) have been thrown at it already and it has only intensified the traffic and made it less attractive for stopping.
Either you are creating a walking zone for people or you a creating a speedway. Cannot have both. It doesn't work here and it doesn't work at other 'arterials' dotted throughout urban Racine where people are living and walking around. Face it and slow down the traffic.
Post a Comment