Caldwell's downtown remains a place that attracts very few residents, rents are too low to afford any improvements to properties and then there is all the blight and vacant buildings. This situation has reached a point where people vested in downtown have reached a significant level of dissatisfaction with Mayor Nancolas and want to know what his plans are for downtown Caldwell. (there are at least 4 plans in the file cabinets at city hall, costing taxpayers over $300,000.00)
Also, reported is TVCC is not making the ambitious numbers for enrollment and their ability to pay their rent that is about to increase is a problem. City officials are ruminating about taking city funds and redirecting the funds to TVCC. A sleight of hand transfer of funds is in the offing.
CEDC Director, Steve Fultz has been ordered to come up with a marketing plan to help boost enrollment numbers for Caldwell TVCC. Right now TVCC pays half rent but occupies all of the building. The marketing plan will no doubt take funds and time away from Mr. Fultz's normal duties.
The Friday meeting at the train depot is open to the public.
Why do the taxpayers owe the owners of downtown property anything? Why can't these downtowners fix up their own broken down buildings at their own expense? Downtown Caldwell is a 100 year old business model. If you want to buy something, go to Midland Market Place. There is nothing "artsy" about anything there. It will never be a curio shop destination. Get real Mayor, tell'em they are on their own!
ReplyDeleteI'd be thrilled to be on my own! At least that way I wouldn't get the bill in the mail twice a year for the failed efforts to re-invent Caldwell. Knee jerk reaction after knee jerk reaction as it relates to spending downtown has netted zero results and high taxes.
DeleteThe city has spent ten's of thousands of dollars on strategies to revitalize downtown and they all sit in a desk drawer somewhere within the walls of city hall, not to mention non-tax producing endeavors like TVCC, train depots, parks and plazas.
The city, currently the only viable buyer in the Caldwell market, has set not just downtown but all of Caldwell in a death spiral. They name the price, spend our money to buy it, string property owners along with the hope that they'll get cashed out at this point- even if pennies on the dollar, do very little with the buildings once purchased, which trickles down to rental rates because why would my space be worth anything if there's 50 other properties available?
And, in the end, those of us left are handed the bill to pay taxes for all the city owned non tax paying property, which throws the burden on us to not only make wages, but pay the inflated taxes in a city that has no traffic.It's no wonder there's no room left to improve our downtown businesses.
And the icing on the cake is that all of this is being managed by an APPOINTED POSITION, not even an elected official that we can vote for or against based on their track record.
There are plenty of thriving communities in our area that, like Caldwell, may never be a curio shop destination, but at least they haven't spent 100 million dollars to be where they are and don't have one of the highest tax rates in the state with nothing to show for it, unlike us.
Wake up Growler.
The question I have for Mayor Nancolas is: How does the economic activity of downtown Caldwell look today v. the time before he took office? He has done nothing to improve things in downtown. The return on investments is nil and all urban renewal has done is raise everyone's property tax in downtown with little hope of actually making any money on downtown property. Rents are low and taxes high. If he thinks this is progress.. god help us all.
ReplyDeleteI just got off the phone with a woman who is losing her ceramic shop of 40 years! The city of Caldwell is tearing it down AND CHARGING HER FOR THE TEARING DOWN she has two weeks left!!!!!!! I live in post falls idaho but if I could, I would be down there doing whatever I could to help this woman!!! What gives the city the right to tell her it's not fixable and we are tearing it down whether you like it or not AND WE ARE CHARGING YOU TO DO IT!!! Why isn't the community helping her or at least give her another option....SHE OWNS THE PROPERY!!! I'm just disgusted with city council members, This was her life's work and they could only come up with TEARING IT DOWN AND CHARGING HER FOR IT!!! Teresahen40@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteYou may not know all the facts in this case. Connie's Ceramics was fire gutted about decade or more ago. The building has been declared unsafe by every fire and building official in town. After years of trying to get compliance from the owner to vacate and demolish the building she waited until the very last day on her vacate and demolish order to go in as ask for a 30 day extension at a city council meeting two weeks ago. She was granted yet another extension in order for her to get out some 30,000 ceramic molds she owns out of the building and either sell of give them to someone who could use them. She went through this same exercise some time back when people traveled from out of state to purchase the molds and when they got here she told them she was no longer interested in selling them. The building is caved in on the west side and smoke damaged throughout the remainder with structural issues that deem it unsalvageable. To add insult to the community she had a continuous yard sale along the front of the building on the Indiana and Linden sides for years with all manner of furniture, junk and other worthless items. This property has been both an eyesore and city code violation for years.
DeleteThe City of Caldwell is doing a summary abatement of a dangerous building and is not in the business of doing things like this on a regular basis. I have lived here for 35 years and this is the first instance of resorting to this I know of. The City of Caldwell will put a lien on the property and will recover their costs (with interest) when the property eventually sells.
Wouldn't you agree that after a decade or more or wrangling with city officials it is time for them to take action? She has once again started stacking her junk at the curb in yet another ongoing yard sale. It is too bad family members don't appear to be willing to help this elderly lady get things of any value out of the building before it gets carted off to the landfill.