Live Blogging: Mayor Brown in Springfield

[sheclown]

Dang. I missed out on the piggy bank   

[thelakelander]

Hmm. From the sound of things, it appears Springfield is in the midst of a good old fashioned gentrification battle. The type that many communities across the country went through back in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

[spuwho]

Are there architectural standards in Springfield that a "re-developer" would have to follow if they chose to build out?

There are many people who like the "old style" but want the modern details that come with it.

Surely if standards were set with no loopholes, you would get replacement residences that reflect the original glory of Springfield and don't diminish the remaining older ones.

Just a thought.

[tufsu1]

The person, who I think is the social media manager, just finished giving her "how things are going to work" speech.

that would have been Deputy Chief of Staff Michelle Barth

[tufsu1]

Michael trautman asks for the city to demolish these houses

sorry, but that's not exactly what he said....what he did say was in his opinion the neighborhood experienced the most positive change when many of the new homes were being built....he also said that some homes may need to be demolished as they are beyond saving and nobody will come in to rescue them

and yes, he did admit to being a developer

[tufsu1]

The "have staff talk to citizens one-on-one" instead of letting citizens speak to the crowd over the PA system, is a great way to defuse "rabble rousing"

which is exactly what I told TheCat....pretty smart technique when holding a large public workshop....start and end with an open house format

[sheclown]

Okay. What did he say ?

[sheclown]

Person in Audience:

What is the city's plan to fix the properties that they own and are neglecting like 9th and Main.

Brown:

My goal is to fix that problem. There is an RFP for something. 9th and Main has some major issues...contamination issues. The solution is probably for someone buying it and fixing it. I don't think it's a good idea for a city to allow for properties to become an eye sore.

Mike:

I'm going to take a different POV than Kim. I really think the solution is to...demolish. *in so many words, strategic demolition.*

Brown:

You had a lot of people that came in and bought a bunch of properties....I want a livable community. Getting the developers to invest in Springfield. I call it "patient capital". Take the long view. Attract young people. All those things are important.

emphasis mine.

[tufsu1]

We also got a crappy flashlight and a JEA piggy bank.

a pretty sweet CFL light bulb piggy bank

[tufsu1]

Okay. What did he say ?

read above...I amended my post

[strider]

Are there architectural standards in Springfield that a "re-developer" would have to follow if they chose to build out?

There are many people who like the "old style" but want the modern details that come with it.

Surely if standards were set with no loopholes, you would get replacement residences that reflect the original glory of Springfield and don't diminish the remaining older ones.

Just a thought.

Infill, which is what you are talking about, is fine.  We just think that perhaps the 200 ish empty lots we have now should be built on before we bring in those excavators to create additional empty lots.

And, FYI, the current thinking in most sensible parts of the country is that new infill in historic areas should not mimic the historic styles but be more modern and compliment them.

[sheclown]

Michael trautman asks for the city to demolish these houses

sorry, but that's not exactly what he said....what he did say was in his opinion the neighborhood experienced the most positive change when many of the new homes were being built....and yes, he did admit to being a developer

Look at The Cat's response.  He heard what I heard.

[jaxequality]

I think Michael Troutman said me big time springfiel developer, me have properties, me like John Delaney.

[sheclown]

At least Trautmann spoke his mind.  I have to hand it to him for doing that.  Unlike the whispers of many who ...how did Kim Scott put it...talk to her but don't want the neighbors to get mad at them for promoting demolitions?

As she stated in the paper earlier this week:

Scott said some Springfield residents privately say they appreciate demolition of some homes, but stay quiet in public to avoid disputes with their neighbors.

[strider]

Michael trautman asks for the city to demolish these houses

sorry, but that's not exactly what he said....what he did say was in his opinion the neighborhood experienced the most positive change when many of the new homes were being built....and yes, he did admit to being a developer

Hmm, those heady days of SRG artificially pushing up lot prices, selectively paying too much for some to keep those prices up, the local preservation organization, SPAR Council helping Ms Scott condemn more houses and demolish them as well.  SRG running it's own security force through SPAR Council, the so called leadership promoting the persecution of various groups of people and keeping the community divided and working against each other.  Giving out misinformation to potential business owners to insure only the "right kind" of people opened businesses. All in the name of profit for a selected few. Yep, heady days for Springfield alright.