Several Downtown Businesses have come to the conclusion they just can't make it in Downtown Caldwell. The following is from the January 26th Urban Renewal Agency meeting:
"Duston Rose, realtor, stated that several businesses are considering relocating from the downtown area, claiming that conditions created by the Indian Creek project have had a negative effect on their business. In his capacity as realtor for these properties, Mr. Rose is making an appeal to CEURA on behalf of the property owners for assistance with moving and relocation costs. Chairman Waite stated that the properties in question were given consideration offers during the creek relocation project but owners declined and decided to stay put. Chairman Waite added that CEURA is unable to offer assurance of assistance at this time as current funds are already committed to other projects, however CEURA is willing to review funding sources in future years."
Mayor Nancolas may have had it all wrong in his state of the city address about how great things are in Downtown Caldwell. It looks more like "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic" when you have people asking for financial help to close up shop.
Urban Renewal in Caldwell will have spent in the neighborhood of $70 Million by the time they dissolve the agency in 2014. What will we have to account for all the money spent by CERURA when the books are closed on this chapter of Caldwell. In Downtown we probably won't have much beyond a shiny new TVCC/City Hall building and the uncovering of Indian Creek in Downtown. And no doubt a lot of boarded up storefronts to go along with the aforementioned.
Caldwell remains "the city without a plan", regardless of the the mayoral hyperbole about all the progress laid out during the Mayor's state of the city address. When the shiny new TVCC building opens in the Fall of 2010 "critical mass" of all the students and their cars taking up all the parking will have more negative impacts on remaining downtown shops and stores. Property taxes have more than doubled on dying businesses in our downtown due to the inflated prices UR paid for property. The chickens have come home to roost and it isn't pretty to watch our downtown continue in the death spiral.
The agency is making monthly payments to YMCA, lawyers, and bankers, but
ReplyDeletedoing nothing to help RENEW downtown. Oh sure, they are helping Oregon's
community college, but doing nothing for the locals.
I'll bet you won't find this in the plan for Caldwell Mayor Nancolas outlined in his state of the city address.
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteNot only do businesses need help to move out of downtown, the sum total of effort has produced ownership of property that has seen taxes double, triple or more on buildings that won't rent for market value. additionally they would need extensive rehab to meet change of use standards imposed by caldwell and for the most part can't be sold. If you set out to destroy a community you couldn't do a better job. I don't think that there are even any buzzards circling over the left overs. We are going to simply disappear....
Caldwell was fooled during the last election. Nearly four months later, we have empty promises, empty buildings and car lots, and wasteful spending. Without a change in city council, the mayor can do whatever he wants. Oh, we do have James Dakan receiving a life time achievement award---for being mayor during a low point in Caldwell's history, where he did nothing of substance.
ReplyDeleteBENT IT, Hell, They Broke it!
ReplyDeleteAre the property tax payers of Caldwell going to be on the hook to buy out all the property owners in downtown Caldwell who want to quit or retire?
Chairman Waite should be fired or recalled for even considering using taxpayer money to buy these properties "in future years".
Property tax money should not be used to bail out the people who let their property degrade and deteriate for the last thirty years.
Downtown Caldwell is broken.
CHEERS!
I was driving around the Caldwell Police Station, counting the police cars parked in the parking lot, and noticed a new sign at Indian Creek and 4th St proclaiming a new Japanese Garden. Any information on this project? Is this more property tax funded spending by the City of Caldwell? Or, hopefully, is this non taxpayer money?
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way there were 25 police cars parked at the police station. Why does Caldwell have so many parked police cars?
It seems that the general autorities of Caldwell
have had a field day and a gay old time spending taxpayer money for the last 10 years!
It's time for the Mayor and City counsel to get off the taxpayers back and show some restraint in spending taxpayer money! They may even consider cutting taxes to ease the burden on Caldwell taxpayers. Not likely, but we can always hope. The mayor feels "we are entitled", as he said in his state of the city speech.
What arrogance!!!!
"noticed a new sign at Indian Creek and 4th St proclaiming a new Japanese Garden. Any information on this project?"
ReplyDeletehttp://denshogarden.shutterfly.com/
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"Property tax money should not be used to bail out the people who let their property degrade and deteriate for the last thirty years. "
- So True!
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"Oh, by the way there were 25 police cars parked at the police station. Why does Caldwell have so many parked police cars?"
- It is very sad when I see dozens of police cars driving around my neighborhood aimlessly at night. Whenever these police cars see me taking an evening walk, they ALL want to stop me and ask me where I am going. pitiful
Caldwell will turn around someday, but the problem is it will be at the current business owners expense. We will have been squeezed for every penny in taxation, forced to sell below market value since we cannot afford to improve the property or get market rent for our buildings, and a new generation of businesses will swoop in on the value. Too bad we won't be around to see it.
ReplyDelete