IS IT TRUE that today is the day that we remember and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his tireless courage in bringing the civil rights of all Americans to the public eye to push the ball forward so that “one day we may all be judged by the content of our character and not by the color of our skin”?…from great perseverance and a pure vision has come much progress toward this goal pushed forward by the man who made it okay for all of us to “Have a Dream”?

IS IT TRUE this writer will have the honor and privilege today to accept the 2015 “Legacy of Service” award on behalf of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) from the Black Chamber of Commerce of Palm Springs, California?

IS IT TRUE that pondering on the conundrum of just what to do with the Owen Block Building that is in desperate need of either some very expensive repairs has several people in Evansville stirred up on both sides of the end game for this beautiful historic structure?…the City of Evansville, and particularly DMD Director Kelley Coures is faced with a choice on how to spend $100,000, but not with the choice not to spend this money at all?…this writer wants to emphasize that the City of Evansville WILL BE SPENDING $100,000 on this building whether it is demolished or refurbished by a private contractor after being rescued by the Indiana Historical Landmarks group?…in the vein of the movie “Sophie’s Choice”, we shall christen the forthcoming decision as “Kelley’s Choice”?…some spending has already been done to install the fence that is in place to protect the public from risks to life and limb that are already associated with the Owen Block Building just existing in it’s decaying state?

IS IT TRUE that the easiest thing to do would be for Kelley to make the choice to let the demolition crew take the old girl down as soon as possible at a cost that is estimated at $85,000 and hand the lot over to the maintenance department to care for in perpetuity?…the cost of this will be about $100,000 with the perpetual obligation to maintain this lot at a cost of about $3,000 per year?…the lot will then be off of the tax rolls forever, further eroding the tax base of downtown Evansville?

IS IT TRUE the more difficult decision for Kelley is to take the path offered by a group of concerned citizens who are actively raising about $350,000 to secure the building and stabilize it with the help of the Indiana Historical Landmarks group?…this path, if successful will require the City of Evansville upon completion to spend $100,000 of earmarked dollars on the stabilized building and to sell it to a private developer for a token amount?…that private developer that is rumored to be Architectural Renovators, that has an excellent track record with such projects would then finish the job and return the Owen Block Building to that tax roles and add 16 rental units to the downtown Evansville mix of properties?…the profits (if there are any) on the operation of the building will be taxed and the property taxes on the building estimated at $20,000 per year assuming an assessment of $1 Million, will start to flow into the coffers of local government?

IS IT TRUE that “Kelley’s Choice” simply comes down to a question of HOW ONE IS GOING TO SPEND $100,000?…in case one the $100,000 is assured to be consumed and followed by a perpetual obligation to spend $3,000 per year to maintain the lot forever?…in scenario two the $100,000 of earmarked federal money will buy the City of Evansville an opportunity to leverage private support into a renovated historical building that will be adding to the rental mix and paying $20,000 per year in property taxes?…”Kelley’s Choice” seems to be a simple choice to this writer, who acknowledges a history of exposing public waste and delusion when it come to downtown Evansville projects?…this writer based on the passion, commitment, and the anticipated success of the Owen Block Preservation Group, believes the best decision for “Kelley’s Choice” is to take door number two and choose the path of preservation with essentially ZERO local tax dollars invested?

IS IT TRUE that quite frankly the model being pioneered by this approach is one that can be replicated across the City of Evansville from the Owen Block to the McCurdy, to the Mesker Amphitheatre, to maybe even a downtown hotel?…local citizen involvement has been missing in the past and this dedicated group who started a Facebook site to rescue this building is both the originator and the catalyst to creating hope for the Owen Block Building to be returned to it’s former glory?…government in this case is just playing a bit part as a facilitator with a nominal investment?…this is the way redevelopment is supposed to work and this guy thinks it is marvelous for Evansville to be learning this lesson?

IS IT TRUE this writer also realizes that this opinion may break with the past opinions on other projects that have been in IS IT TRUE and even with some of our most loyal readers?…that aside, this type of approach has worked in other places and will work in Evansville IF AND ONLY IF IT REMAINS GRASS ROOTS DRIVEN BY THE CITIZENS OF EVANSVILLE?…I say congratulations and carry on?

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