Live Blog: DIA interviews 2 finalists

[Tacachale]

Pretty much says it would help to incentivize homebuyers for downtown. I agree that you can grow DT's population by paying people to live in it. Wallace is right. This strategy has worked for Detroit.

I've never been convinced of this. Downtown Detroit presumably has a substantial quantity of empty residential buildings for newcomers to move to. Downtown Jax doesn't. The demand for downtown living in Jax is already there, but there are too few places for them to go.

Not really. They've torn down most of their building stock. They just have a private sector putting a lot of cash into in incentivizing every aspect of the market, including people they want to live there.

I'm willing to bet they have more than Jax does, which is essentially 0 that isn't already full. Housing in downtown Jax isn't a demand issue, it's a supply issue. Paying people to live there won't do anything unless there's somewhere for them to go.

[fieldafm]

Wallace pretty much states Detroit revitalization work driven by Dan Gilbert's pocketbook. We need a sugar daddy for DTJax.

Downtown Jax reminds me of Mark McGuire's younger brother Jay... who played several times at the old Wolfson Park while toiling in the minors virtually his entire career.  Jay would come up to bat, biceps bulging and sweating out whatever steroids he just shot up in the dugout before the game.

A big hush would come over the crowd.  People would whisper, 'That's Mark McGuire's brother, he'll knock one out over left field and hit a car on the Matthews Bridge.'  Then the allmighty roid king would strike would swinging like a mad man.

It didn't work out so well for Jay's career... and it sure as hell hasn't worked for DT Jax.

[TheCat]

Q&A with  Wallace:

q: what is your management style?
a: it's very participatory. Everyone has a stake in the success of the department and goals. he's not a micro manager but he's "tenacious" on holding people accountable. From the board stand point: it's open and participatory. He's thick skinned and can handle open honest opinions. He will be honest and open and wants the same from the board.

q: what do you envision for the shipyard property?
a: entertainment venues would be great. it's one of the largest properties that city actually owns - 20 plus acres. It could be a great place for water activities...but I'm going to let the private sector provide input.

q: how can we bring colleges and specifically the art institute downtown? how can we bring medical facilities downtown?
a: you have to sell to universities on the benefits of being downtown and being a part of the actual communities. his experience that many times the colleges are not concerned with the community outside of their campus. Then you have to find out who is their real estate person on their staff. That is the person that will sell the president to invest downtown. The real estate person has to see the benefit with hard numbers.

Interview over. Board thanks Wallace for his time.

[fieldafm]

Pretty much says it would help to incentivize homebuyers for downtown. I agree that you can grow DT's population by paying people to live in it. Wallace is right. This strategy has worked for Detroit.

Detroit's 15x15 program has worked pretty well thus far.

[Tacachale]

Wallace pretty much states Detroit revitalization work driven by Dan Gilbert's pocketbook. We need a sugar daddy for DTJax.

Downtown Jax reminds me of Mark McGuire's younger brother Jay... who played several times at the old Wolfson Park while toiling in the minors virtually his entire career.  Jay would come up to bat, biceps bulging and sweating out whatever steroids he just shot up in the dugout before the game.

A big hush would come over the crowd.  People would whisper, 'That's Mark McGuire's brother, he'll knock one out over left field and hit a car on the Matthews Bridge.'  Then the allmighty roid king would strike would swinging like a mad man.

It didn't work out so well for Jay's career... and it sure as hell hasn't worked for DT Jax.

Yeah. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd have a revitalized Downtown.

[thelakelander]

Pretty much says it would help to incentivize homebuyers for downtown. I agree that you can grow DT's population by paying people to live in it. Wallace is right. This strategy has worked for Detroit.

I've never been convinced of this. Downtown Detroit presumably has a substantial quantity of empty residential buildings for newcomers to move to. Downtown Jax doesn't. The demand for downtown living in Jax is already there, but there are too few places for them to go.

Not really. They've torn down most of their building stock. They just have a private sector putting a lot of cash into in incentivizing every aspect of the market, including people they want to live there.

I'm willing to bet they have more than Jax does, which is essentially 0 that isn't already full. Housing in downtown Jax isn't a demand issue, it's a supply issue. Paying people to live there won't do anything unless there's somewhere for them to go.

They mentioned this. Demand isn't the issue in either city. It's cost to rehab or building from scratch verses what the market is willing to pay for a finished product. Detroit has resolved that gap through incentives largely driven by the private sector.

[thelakelander]

Kevin Hanna is now presenting.

[thelakelander]

Hanna believes more aggressive incentives are needed. Mentions like Jax, in New Orleans, demand isn't the issue, cost to rehab verses the market price of finished projects is. Suggests subsidies for developers and homebuyers. He also wants us to think big about development along the riverfront. He just threw Atlanta's Atlantic Station out there....

[CityLife]

He just threw Atlanta's Atlantic Station out there....

Would probably make a good drinking game during his presentation and Q/A. I say 5+ mentions.

[thelakelander]

My first opinion....Wallace is a better presenter. Perhaps Hanna is just nervous though.

[TheCat]

Interview with Kevin Hanna:

His goals are:

60 day plan:
* meet with every council person. meet and discuss their ideas and thought.
90  -120 plan:
* draft of CRA plan. I can't speak to the approval process.

who is downtown:

1) 9 to 5 ers
* bring more employees and employers downtown. I can do that. Recruit companies to downtown. target and attack (at the same time protect your back). Put together a package of incentives to attract a specific industry. Make sure that we protect our own. Put together a "hit" list of the major employers downtown to keep them happy so they renew their lease.

2) 5 to 9ers AM & 5 to 9ers PM
* incentives are needed for people to live downtown.
*developers will not develop if their isn't a profit. We have to provide incentives to developers. Also, the owner/occupier needs incentives to move downtown. Subsidies for developers will come from sources like section 108 loan. Homeowner subsidies can come from "collusions" with other agencies that help subsidize home ownership.

3) 9 to 9ers:
* visiters. These are the people that will consider us to think big. Uses Atlantic Station as an example "encourages us" to think along those lines.
* Students, super important. When corporate Atlanta started migrating out of the core Georgia State moved in. Literally, kids from 9 to 9 walk from residences to classes. It adds vibrancy.

Each of these groups require public safety. It is a must. Get out the fact that downtown is not unsafe it is actually one of the safest sectors in the city. Homelessness also needs to be addressed. Arresting our way out of homelessness will not work. A city he's worked with created a ten year plan that included dozens of agencies that worked with the homeless to bring them out of their situation. This is philadelphia. They have significantly reduced their homelessness rate.

Think long term.

Presentation over.

opening for questions.

[thelakelander]

Hanna involvement with CRAs? In Atlanta they are called TADs or tax allocation districts. He drafted a TAD or TIF in Atlanta with the Atlanta Investment Authority for a west side neighborhood. Also did the TAD for the Atlantic Station site, which was developed a few years after he moved to Philadelphia.

[thelakelander]

He just threw Atlanta's Atlantic Station out there....

Would probably make a good drinking game during his presentation and Q/A. I say 5+ mentions.

You win. He's already +5 on Atlantic Station.

[thelakelander]

+10......

[CityLife]

+10......

I'm wasted before noon.