Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency's bonding of projects will sunset the end of this year. Downtown Caldwell business and property owners have awakened to the reality what they now see is all they may get when the agency sunsets. Their concerns are they have paid nearly three to four times the property taxes they had in 2001 and what have they received to enhance business and rental incomes in downtown. Their answer is a resounding "not much"!
Property owners are faced with the reality of low rental income against all the tax increases caused by Caldwell East Urban Renewal. Property taxes took off like a shot when CEURA made more than a dozen property purchases and as a result the County Assessor raised assessed values to reflect his mandate to assess properties at 100% of full market value.
Downtown property owners have paid millions more in property taxes over the last 13 years gone directly to CEURA and they have had near zero input on urban renewal money spent in downtown. Money spent by CEURA has also had near zero benefit to businesses, rent incomes and there are more closed up storefronts today than ever before. Right now there is a palpable sense of being cheated out of any input or participation in how CEURA funds got spent in downtown. Additionally, the property owners who would like to sell can't because of high property taxes and exceedingly low rents. Downtown property is at best a questionable investment.
"Increment URA Property Taxes" will continue to flow to CEURA for the next eight years and it is this money and how it gets spent that is on the collective minds of business and property owners in downtown Caldwell. A storm is brewing and headed toward Mayor Nancolas and the City Council.
I am a property owner in the core area of caldwell. I find it refreshing to see this awakening. No one knows the reason why things have gotten to this state of neglect.When you look at who has been in charge of the money, one name comes to the top of the list. That is city finance officer Eljay Wait.There is still time to get going! It is going to take commitment and money. How about we start by removing the old Kings building and creating a city center plaza. That would get rid of an eye sore and make a community gathering spot.
ReplyDeleteWhen will King Garret figure it out......the only people that care about downtown Caldwell is him and the handful of well-off owners of the buildings down there. We don't care! We do care about jobs, educating our children, and lower property taxes. Enough already with throwing money at downtown.
ReplyDeleteI have heard so many "good news" stories about downtown revitalization from our Mayor and his crony capitalists and developer buddies and none have bubbled to the surface. Downtown has so many old obsolete buildings where do you start in the destruction of these old structures? A nice 7.0 earthquake would be a place to start. They could sell all the old bricks for a profit.
ReplyDeleteCity's do have the power of condemnation. A nice bare lot or block is much more appealing to someone willing to invest than a dilapidated unoccupied building. It can all be summed up in two words BULL DOZER. --Nampa needs to use this power also with the old Mercy Hospital the first candidate.
ReplyDeleteTo "we don't care", this issue apparently does not directly concern you. My experience has been that it is the efforts of the "well off owners", as you say, that create opportunities for job creation, in turn improving whatever capacity government is responsible for educating our children, and lowering property taxes. Regurgitating the tired concerns of the "common man" historically produces zero in the form of results. Allow people with vested interests in the form of business and or building ownership to enhance or at the very least protect their interests, and it is very likely that the benefits will trickle down to what you consider to be more pressing issues. The reality is that it IS possible to create a level of momentum and structure downtown that would satisfy the property owners, and excite the inhabitants of Caldwell about their community, without throwing inordinate amounts of money at the problem. It is also a reality that a circumstance that would satisfy those disgruntled over property taxes, education, and jobs, is unlikely. One logical step at a time, and the logical step at this time is one that could conceivably be achieved.
ReplyDeleteSince the mayor allow one person to handle all finances in our city LJ , I would like to see his Resume posted on city site . Is he some next CEO , Is he some graduate of Harvard , am I missing something , should I be fortunate he's doing us a public Service . I'm sorry after 60 million of tax money wasted on none revenue projects . Both Lj and the mayor should resign .
ReplyDeleteOn the issue of "resume" I wonder what cred. the Mayor has to hold his job. He is so far out of touch with what is going on in Caldwell all he has in his favor is apathy. I really doubt very many people will get fired up about all the mismanagement of money spent, much less give even the slightest thougth to hold people accountable.
DeleteI can remember standing in front of what was once Model Mkt. when they opened Indian Creek with its new channel. There was a great speech delivered by Mayor Nancolas as well as others who spoke about the transformation about to take place in downtown Caldwell. I wanted to scream BULL SH!T but my wife kept me in check and I said nothing. Time has made what I would have said a reality. Downtown remains largely the same for most of the citizens of Caldwell except there are fewer stores today than back those few years. Shame on Mr. Nancolas and people who have not held him accountable. I like living in Caldwell and cringe when people I know speak of my city in less than flattering words.
ReplyDeleteHow can a city the size of Caldwell have such a shabby downtown
I guess Caldwell is getting what it deserves.
ReplyDeleteI have listened to soooo many pronouncements and proclamations by Mr. Nancolas about all the good news for downtown Caldwell, I am skeptical of anything I hear about it. Denny Cannon said in 2006 there would be 1200 or so new jobs in downtown. When Nancolas presented the "grand plan" for a 300,000 sf. city hall, retail and condo building in downtown I listened to that grand scheme. I listened when the creek was opened to the new channel about money for façade renovations. People who were lucky enough to sell their property got more than fair deal when they sold to the project. I don't know where TVCC came from as a suitable project for downtown and I know there was no consensus from citizens for that project but it got built with our tax dollars. Downtowns all across the country are trying to figure out what to do to revitalize and some are successful and a lot aren't. It would seem to me taking a good look at success stories would be a good place to start. Also, there has to be some kind of return on investments when they do spend our money.
ReplyDeleteLast, comment is Indian Creek was not revitalized, It was merely uncovered and rerouted. It has always been there.
I am sort of amazed at how accommodating Caldwell building and zoning people can be for the Optimists use of the old King's building but when anyone else comes with a project or need for some help they get handed an impossible laundry list and hellish fees to go with the list. Matt Kelly at the Bird Stop is one very good example.
ReplyDeleteBefore any more money gets spent on "improvements" downtown I would like to see all of the old obsolete buildings possible razed to the ground. Clearing away blight is a proper use of urban renewal dollars. Vacant property is more attractive to capital investment than a bunch of junky buildings. That motel on 10th and Arthur, that ugly probation and parole building at 7th and Main and let me agree the King's building along with Mr. C's should all go under the wrecking ball. Another place to tear down is the SW District Health bldg. and Trolley Square. It's all property that add no value to downtown. I can't imagine what revenue any of it generates. If the Health Dept. building went away, it has a wonderful view of the creek and water wheel. It also has a lot of traffic passing by on 10th Ave. all day long. A good location but not sure what could be built on that spot.
ReplyDeleteAs I was driving down Caldwell's Main Street, to drop a letter in the USPS mail box, I felt a great vibration along with a loud roar. I looked toward the Union Pacific tracks and there it was. UPRR was rolling a train through Caldwell at 50 MPH per. One of America's great assets in action. Abe Lincoln authorized the UPRR in 1862 and in 1883 the Oregon Short Line laid tracks through Bug Town, later renamed Caldwell. The town developed next to the tracks. What a great sight this must have made in the 1880's. Spring forward 130 years. 2014. No matter what Caldwell does to gussy up Old Caldwell, the great UPRR is going to roll 30 trains a day on it's ways (tracks), through Caldwell. My question is, why would any person in their right mind fix up some of these old buildings, right next to the Union Pacific Rail Road's main line? Not all investment's work out. Maybe it's time for some rethink. Not wasting more hard earned taxpayer money on a 130 year old business plan, would be a good place to start.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it . Downtown as a place to shop has four hooves in the air. Most shopping other than small specialty stores have gone to the big box stores on the outskirts of town where their is land and plenty of parking. To make most downtowns more attractive I would suggest urban parks and a culture at city hall that encourages multi-unit apartment houses and condominiums for people to live in rather than the 4-plexes on the outskirts of town. Pedestrian friendly rather than trying to get more traffic. Attorneys, Accountants and Banks and night clubs who don't require a lot of parking would thrive in this enviorment
ReplyDeleteTHE GUARDIAN has been a long and loud critic of Mayor Nancolas and the members of the urban renewal agency for letting government offices locate in places other than downtown. Caldwell is the county seat and as such the Mayor, City Council and CEURA could have done a better job of keeping government offices in downtown Caldwell. That ship has sailed on the Job Service Office, the VA Clinic, SW District Health Offices and DMV. Now we can add the County Fair leaving Caldwell with all the open talk of moving to the FORD IDAHO CENTER.
DeleteComments about the noise from the train are also problematic. Trains going through town blowing their loud whistles could have been resolved years ago if only people paid attention to what was presented to city officials nearly a decade ago. The cost to make Caldwell a quiet zone was put at $250k and it would have been money well spent. The paperwork is in the files of the City Engineer. (former City Engineer, Gordon Law is who got this documentation)
The Steak House in Downtown seems to be doing fine and it suggests there is both a market and a need for places like this in Caldwell. A nice brew pub would also be a magnet for downtown as well. Niche marketing is what would work but downtown remains too dumpy to attract investments.
Name me a single city where the Finance Director has such a strangle hold on their city like Eljay Waite has on Caldwell. Nothing gets done unless he says OK . Also, name me a city where taxpayer money gets spent with little or no return for taxpayers with little or no accountability. The Mayor is off playing with the children of the MYAC while his finance director calls the shots.
ReplyDeleteThe trolley square and sundowner motel were both owned by Robert Bushnell. The sundowner is being marketed for 1.5-million for everything. Probably cost twice that much to renovate it.
ReplyDeleteWent to that steak house that is mentioned in downtown. was greeted by a very snobby woman who stated we needed reservations. that was in 2012, we have not been back.
Caldwell could sure use a good restaurant, Chinese, Italian, even Mexican. Haven't found one in town yet.
Wasn't Caldwell supposed to get a new city hall a few years ago?
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