February 06, 2009

Facade Program

Over the past 7 years I have had alot of experience dealing with the facade plan through the City of Worcester. It was basically a complete disaster and ineffective.

Recently, with some new blood running the program the facade program (targeting downtown and the canal district) and the storefront program (through the 5 NRSA's) have been quite successful and should be an example of how city government and local businesses can work together.

The monies, however, allocated for the facade program this fiscal year (thru June, 2009) are all spent, somewhere in the area of 100,000. Too bad we could not have diverted unexpended CDBG allowances into the facade program, versus making the payments on the $5,800,000 HUD loan for Gardner Kilby Hammond.

Here is another question. Why did we divert $100,000 recently from unexpened NRSA funds to Main South CDC to help them with 93 Grand Street? That $100,000 should have gone to the facade program, not to entity that put us in the situation that we are in now with the $5,800,000 HUD Loan.

4 comments:

Rich Greenhalgh said...

City really needs to get out of the social planning business which is essentially dictating where no / low income folks should live and start doing things that bring and keep employers to this city to create jobs for them so THEY can decide on their own where they want to live. Talk about a screwed up perspective. We'll build houses here for you to live vs. we'll create job opportunities for you so YOU can decide where you want to live. Beyond the doomed economics of it, it's insulting.

Anonymous said...

Hey

The funny part is this. I own a small business.. employee 12 people who all (sorry except me) live in the city.. and with the swing in this neighborhood it might drive me out. It was once said to me that we (the small businesses) are the nuts and bolts of the city. All the city is worried about is housing as the business tax rate goes up and drives busineses out. I just ran some numbers and if I moved to Aubrun Industrial park my propety taxes would be 20% less.. vechicle insurance 25% building cheaper to insure. you are right get out of social planning and take care of the people that have been taking care of you.. They are more into the what if's and bulid it they will come?? Keep in mind that with all this housing... more kids in schoolsystem as well and believe me the property they just put back on the tax role does not cover that. By the way.. the facade program is working now they will take away something good that is helping small business

Bill Randell said...

Alot of people comment on the property taxes in Worcester opposed to the surrouding towns. Not many point out the car/truck insurance differential. It is huge!!

This facade thing really burns me. Here is a program that has become a success and actually helps businesses, which means jobs, etc. It has no money left this fiscal year.

On the other hand an entity that that drops a $5,800,000 loan in our laps gets a $100,000 of CDBG monies??

Anonymous said...

Sorry but I blame Mc govern for this entire low/no income housing disaster that is Worcester.

They build it all in Main South but it overflows to all the other city neighborhoods by virtue people being able to pick & chose what school they go to.

Mcgovern s/b fired, period. But all he has to do is keep the teacher shappy and he's home free.

The abilty of select groups ( gub'mint employees) being to vote themselves money indirectly via the ballot box is going to be our undoing. Try getting on the council if city labor isnt with you. Darn near impossible.

City should just file bankruptcy and undo all union union coctracts. When you ad in teh unfunded city pension liabilty, the city so dam broke it isnt even funny. Too bad that fuzzy math allows the city to move the pension obligation off the books.

It's analogous to owning a home with a $300K mortgage that's only worth $200K.....you re under watre..............but move the mortgage off the "family books" and everything is now A OK ........at least on paper........