by: Diane Benjamin
Yesterday Mayor Renner penned a Guest Commentary in the Pantagraph. Unlike the paper’s editorials, he at least signed his name.
His first sentence on the revitalization of downtown says volumes: “… has the potential to boost our economic growth for generations to come”.
Potential?
Renner then quotes a Pantagraph editorial: “Before you take a trip, it helps if you know the destination.”
So, the people paying the bills have “potential” and “destination”.
To date, both have resulted in a failing Coliseum, a new parking garage that can’t be used, a quarter percent sales tax increase, and a downtown that must be “power washed” every weekend.
The Chocolatier has left downtown.
Lancaster’s has closed.
The McLean County Museum of History has a State grant for the Route 66 Museum – $254, 800. (Your money – just funneled back to Bloomington from the bankrupt State)
The lighting plan for downtown is $8.5 Million. Taxpayers already paid $74, 670 for the study.
Renner wants to create “potential”. Your money, his choice. Renner is gambling just like every other mayor in Bloomington did when they spent money downtown. It will take millions to fix a parking garage they only paid around $3,000,000 for. Since no investigative press exists in Bloomington, nobody is looking for the same problems in the Coliseum. (same construction as the parking garage according to my sources)
Are you sick of politicians using their vision to create “potential”? Businesses gamble with their own money. The don’t take reckless risks. The City of Bloomington has done the opposite for decades, Renner isn’t the first mayor with his own personal vision. But, he can be the first mayor who is stopped! With City elections next year, many of his potted plants can be replaced.
Mayor: you did notice that all the economic development is on the east side – you mentioned it. Why would a business want to invest in a downtown that has to be washed down every weekend?
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$8.5 million for lighting for downtown Blm! Holy Toledo! How on earth can even this council justify this expense? I know,,,Bloomington will become a tourist destination for aliens from outer space as they were drawn in by all the energy and vibrance. It’s not a bad idea really as they can hover their spaceships, no parking needed. Wow! $8.5 million, wow! Didn’t we just borrow $10mil to fix potholes? OMG!!!
It doesn’t make it better, but they are planning to spending $850,000 per year for 10 years. Then they can start over because the first part will already be 10 years old!
I object to referring to Renner’s downtown vision as “gambling”. That term implies there is a chance of the wager paying off. I would call his vision throwing away money. Downtown will not succeed for the same reason Peoria’s riverfront isn’t exactly booming. People in the Midwest have to have close and easy parking or they won’t go. This isn’t Chicago where people will search for a parking space. The ironic thing is that the city has a parking deck that is unusable which only makes the problem worse!