Friday, August 24, 2007

tying the Breuer demolition to the sales tax deception

CLEVELAND'S BREUER DESIGNED TOWER’S PENDING DEMO FEATURED IN GERMAN ARCHITECTURAL MAGAZINE REALNEO for all -- Susan Miller ties the planned demolition of the Breuer Tower to the deception of the bait-and-switch sales-tax increase. If what we hear about the county's being flat broke is true, then we need to stop all spending and stop giving them more money until we have a thorough audit. It seems that things at the county have gotten too fungible, too fungible for words. Perhaps we should put it to music. Here's Susan's wrap-up. The entire post is very enlightening and gives good background and perspective.

There are only a few days remaining for the opponents of the demolition to gather 46,000 signatures necessary to retain the Breuer Tower which exemplarily represents a blind spot in the preservation movement. It is neither new enough to be loved nor old enough to be protected. Each generation resents the young/more recent inheritances of their parent’s generation the most.Note -- The idea that we must have 46,000 signatures to retain the tower relates to the fact that despite suggestions that the tax increase is being implemented to build a convention center to leverage a medical mart, the approximately $880 million that would be raised is not slated for building a $350 million or even $500 million convention center -- but goes to the general fund which would allow the county the money it would need ASAP to begin demolition of the tower and building of the KPF/Madison county govermnent mall in the financial district. The question has been raised repeatedly, but not answered by the BOCC -- where would you get the cash to vacate all the offices you currently occupy, raze the tower and other buildings and build a new office building. I guess we know -- from the tax hike. (www.putitontheballot.com)

Another note: Some have suggested that when federal money was made available for the RTA's Euclid Corridor project, a certain number of jobs coming to the avenue was tied to that money. We have wondered aloud repeatedly what is the economic development in moving existing jobs from one block of the city to another. If the county moves their jobs to the corner of 9th and Euclid, this may be the easy (though expensive) way for them to achieve this caveat of the funding promise. Since the construction of the Euclid Corridor has not been a streamlined effort with crews working round the clock or even in many locations simultaneously, the avenue is bleeding businesses and jobs. Moving county government to the corner of 9th and Euclid (BOCC choosing this site despite many more reasonable options such as the already buildingless corner of Public Square) is a quick finger in the dike of losing that funding.

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to decieve! [sic]

2 comments:

  1. If Euclid Corridor funding is an impetus for moving jobs to Euclid Avenue, that gives yet another boost (as if one were needed) for siting a medical mart in the old Higbee building at Euclid and Ontario.

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