Monday, November 16, 2009
Chicagoland / Politics / Clout City TIFs on the Airwaves
Posted by Whet Moser on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Mick Dumke talks TIFs and more politics with Nick Digilio
Comments (4)
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That was a good interview. However, it was quite an enormous overstatement for Mick to say that Block 37 is still "undeveloped" and "just sitting there". The last I looked, there was an enormous brand new building there of at least 50 stories. The office space has been open for around a year and, I believe, is mostly occupied. The retail space, regardless of the fact that there is a foreclousure suit occuring, will likely open within weeks. According to the Tribune, many of the retailers are in their final stages of setting up. If you walk by, you can see that their signs and everything are already in place. Even if Joseph Freed is foreclosed upon, Bank of America will appoint a receiver to take over and it is unlikely to cause much of a delay.
There is no doubt that this project should not have taken 30 years. And the fact that a huge amount of money was spent on a CTA station that probably will never be used (and wouldn't even do much good if it were completed) is perhaps the biggest outrage that has occured in the entire time Daley has been mayor. That is something that people should be far more angrier about than they are (in fact, back when the CTA issued a press release announcing that they were going to cease the project the Tribune didn't even report it for two or three days). So there definetely is a lot about the city's handling of Block 37 to complain about. There is no need to exagerate things.
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Fair points, IAC, though I believe the project is still lurching toward completion. In recent years the developer has struggled to get and retain commitments from tenants, and the foreclosure suit may set things back even further. From the developer's statement after that filing: "For the past three years, Joseph Freed and Associates LLC has worked tirelessly to deliver on the City's vision for Block 37. We have endeavored to work with the banks at every turn to improve the project and make it worthy of their investment and continued support. We were to open Block 37 next month. But now, Block 37 may never open."
It will open while this post is still on the front page of Clout City. I guarantee it.
I only hope Messrs. Dumke & Digilio were & still are talking in a Georgeist frame of reference: that is, I hope the next time they talk on WGN radio &/or T.V. together, they mention ME & fellow followers of Henry George when it comes time to mention people of an independent bent & nature for BOTH Mayor of Chicago & Gov. of Illinois! However--I have a MUCH bigger ambition & much larger vision to serve the people of NOT only Chicago; Millwaukee, Pittsburgh, & Philly PA., New York City, & Washington, D.C., & Gov. not only of Illinois, California, Indiana, New Jersey, AND New York, AND Seven (7) to Nine (9) other States that BOTH NEED & WANT my help & expertise & the expertise of other followers of Henry George; NOW!!! I hope ALL you fellow citizens dont think I want to be a dictator. I just WANT to help you ALL KNOW & UNDERSTAND Henry George! PLEASE! dowload these three (3) books at the Henry George School Web-Site: hgchicago.org: "Social Problems", "Progress & Poverty", & "Protection Or Free Trade", (As it was TRULY meant to be! FREE!!! & NO job transfers down-sizing, or shut-downs, or mortgage-forclosure's, or S & L, or bank closings!!!! Thanks!!!
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