LaPorte-based Walsh Construction Co. will oversee the $103 million project, which is scheduled for completion in September 2012.
The new bridge is being partially funded with a $20 million federal grant, with Indiana and Kentucky paying the remainder.
Source: miltonmadisonbridge.com
News Release
Louisville, Ky. (November 12, 2010) – Preliminary activity is currently underway in staging areas near the site of the new U.S. 421 Milton-Madison Bridge, including archaeological activity and soil sampling. This initial work must be completed before construction can begin.
Project contractor, Walsh Construction Company, has begun setting up portable offices in a staging area along Jaycee Park in Madison, which will be used for the next two years during construction. The staging area will be used to house office space, construction equipment and materials.
Following construction, Walsh will restore the park to its existing condition or better, including, restored volleyball courts, a new picnic shelter, playground equipment, basketball goals and a new riverfront sidewalk on the north side of Vaughn Drive.
Workers began core drilling this week along the Milton riverfront to gather soil samples where temporary bridge ramps and piers will be constructed. That work will continue into next week.
Archeological surveying is expected to begin next week in Milton. Workers will use backhoes to excavate areas along the riverfront to determine the presence of possible artifacts and potential impact by the project.
The official project groundbreaking is scheduled for November 30.
The Milton-Madison (U.S. 421) Bridge Project is bi-state effort between The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). The new bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic by September 15, 2012, will be constructed using two innovative methods: “superstructure replacement†and “truss sliding.†A new steel truss superstructure will be constructed on the existing bridge piers, which will be widened and rehabilitated. Once constructed atop temporary piers immediately downstream of the existing bridge, the new 3,181-foot truss will “slide†along steel rails, moving to its permanent location on the renovated existing piers. This innovative method reduces the originally anticipated 365-day construction-related bridge closure to just 10 days. For more information, visit www.MiltonMadisonBridge.com
Post Office Square’s highly successful park was built on the site of a parking garage. The garage was moved underground.
Norman B. Leventhal Park at Post Office Square, constructed in 1991, is among the best-loved public open space in Boston. During a spring lunch-break it is difficult to find a place to sit or even stroll through the park because of its popularity. The park occupies 1.7 acres. It is the size of the Big Dig’s Parcel 19, located next to the Edison site at the new Northern Avenue Bridge. Bracketed by the Boston Financial District’s two main streets, Congress and Pearl, Post Office Square provides open-space contrast to the dense concentration of Class-A office buildings that surround it. The park is open to the public, but is privately owned and controlled by the Friends of Post Office Square Trust. The park sits atop a 1,500-car parking garage, which provides part of the revenue to maintain and operate it. The trust also collects assessments from the owners of adjacent buildings.
Post Office Square is maintained to high standards, with a maintenance budget of $3 per square foot.
The Halvorson Company was the landscape architect and designer; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York was the master planner; Ellenzweig Associates, Inc. was the architect of the restaurant structure. Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc., were the civil engineers; CMS Collaborative consulted on design of the fountain. J.F. White Contracting Co. was the general contractor; Eastern Irrigation Company provided the irrigation; Schumacher Landscaping Inc. was the landscape contractor.
Concept
Post Office Square was designed as the front yard to a group of Boston’s most prestigious Class-A office towers. It reclaimed land from a dilapidated above-ground parking garage that was a blight on the district. The garage was relocated below ground, under the park. Post Office Square is a park for all seasons, containing more than 125 species of plants and an extensive lawn. Bushes, plants and flowers edge sidewalks. A dense a canopy of large trees protects the park, providing shade in the summer and filtering the light in the winter. The ground cover, shrubs and trees define and reinforce sidewalks, fountains, art, and a restaurant featuring a gamut of building materials — brick, stone, wood, metal and glass.
The park’s centerpiece is an all-season restaurant that includes 100 outside moveable chairs.
Shrubs, trees, and ground cover define a series of garden rooms offering the visitor a variety of experiences, including a Red Oak tree and two giant Watern Arborvitaes. Ramp access to the underground garage brackets the park on Congress and Pearl streets, successfully masked by flowers, shrubs and trees. A kiosk structure, fountains, and art provide points of interest in the park.
Lessons
The Friends of Post Office Square Trust is the owner and operator of the park, offering programmatic direction and guaranteeing excellence in design. The occupants of every car parked in the garage must traverse the park, ensuring constant activity and maintaining security. The public/private partnership that operates the park demonstrates that commercial interests and the civic values of public realm open space can coexist.
These case studies were researched and written by Zhan Guo and Alex-Ricardo Jimenez of MIT, under the direction of Thomas J. Piper of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. They examine a series of urban open space projects with particular lessons for Boston as it decides the future of the land freed up when the Central Artery moves underground.
IS IT TRUE that there are now 714 days remaining in the two years that the EPA had given the City of Evansville to present an acceptable solution to the Combined Sewer Overflow problem?…..that this plan is an expensive and complex endeavor that needs immediate attention to avoid the embarrassment and expense of another round of fines?
IS IT TRUE the City County Observer is being bashed by certain Democratic officials for reporting the political short comings of elected City of Evansville office holders?….the City of Evansville has 11 elected officials? ….out of the 11 elected City of Evansville office holders only one (1) is a Republican? … that Democratic leadership must expect us to write about Republicans we are not presently city office holders?
IS IT TRUE we are hearing that the appointed 3rd Ward City Council person may not be running in the 2011 city council election. ….that the appointed “At Large” City Councilman, Don Walker may run for Evansville City Council in Ward 3 if the current holder of that office Wendy Bredhold decides not to run? ….that one of the leaders in the “STOP THE BALL FIELD” from being built on the Roberts Stadium property may be a 3rd Ward candidate for City Council? …..that we also hearing the the extremely popular Evansville City Clerk is being encouraged to run for this seat?
IS IT TRUE we are hearing that the financial audits for GAGE conducted by a local accounting firm are now completed? ….we bet that the leadership at GAGE shall refuse to make public the findings of the financial review of this organization? ….we aren’t worried about their decision not to release this information to the public because we know at least 5 elected officials who will provide us with copies of these reports so we can make them public? …..we shall finally find out if the 2009 Freedom Festival lost $300,000, $400,000, $500,000 or over $600,000 on that event?
IS IT TRUE that soon to be former Vanderburgh County Commission, Troy Tornatta is crunching the voting numbers he received in the November General election to see if he should run for Mayor of Evansville? ….he should bypass the vote count he received in the heavily Democratic precincts (3-9 and 3-11 located in Ward 3 (Roberts Stadium area) because it wasn’t a pretty site?
IS IT TRUE that we won’t be surprised to hear the name of City Councilman John Friend as being pushed to run for Mayor of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that MOLE #3 has confirmed that extremely popular 6th Ward citizen, Al Lindsey shall be announcing very soon that he is it a candidate for City Council? ….that we are not surprised to hear that present City Councilman, B J Watts will announce he shall not seek re-election? ….that if this happens don’t be surprised to see a connection of the” Mosby Family” also run for this city council seat?
IS IT TRUE that there are now 715 days remaining in the two years that the EPA had given the City of Evansville to present an acceptable solution to the Combined Sewer Overflow problem?…..that this plan is an expensive and complex endeavor that needs immediate attention to avoid the embarrassment and expense of another round of fines?
IS IT TRUE that the political Dean of the Evansville City Council, Curt John got it right at the last Council meeting? ….that Councilman John corrected hotel industry executives who want baseball to be built on the Roberts Stadium property?…that they said that the Innkeeper’s tax money belong to the Hotel-Motel owners and not to the Taxpayers? …Political Dean Curt John quickly told them that this tax money belongs to the taxpayers and not to the Hotel-Motel owners? ….that political Dean John’s well timed remarks encouraged B J Watts, Connie Robinson, Missy Mosby and John Friend to join Dr. Dan Adams and Dan McGinn in approving the Hotel before Baseball resolution? …the taxpayers are very pleased with 7 of 9 City Council members standing up for the taxpayers of this community?
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer has gotten much positive feedback for the praise that we gave to Department of Metropolitan Development Director Tom Barnett?…that the realization of the magnitude of the blight problems in South Evansville pointed out by Mr. Barnett seems to have gotten some people’s attention?….that recognizing a problem and acknowledging it is the first step to correcting the problem?…that the $1 Billion Albatross of blight along with the estimated $500 Billion Combined Sewer Overflow problem really drives home the size of the problem in South Evansville?….that former County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave and Mr. Barnett agree that the only way to eradicate the Billion Dollar Albatross is through attracting private money to the area?….that it is refreshing to see agreement emerge from disagreement?
IS IT TRUE that dysfunctional sewers, low scoring schools, and high crime rates are the reasons that South Evansville has fallen into such a state of blight?….that building $200,000 houses and selling them for half of that price will remain the norm until the sewers, schools, and crime in South Evansville are acceptable to the majority of our citizens?….that the price to repair these problems along with the blight may just be beyond the capacity of a city like Evansville to correct?…that throwing massive sums of government money at problems like this in other urban areas has not been successful?….that maybe another solution needs to be considered?
IS IT TRUE that much of South Evansville was once a natural wetland?…that the most cost effective solution to the sewer/blight problem may be to demolish vast numbers of dilapidated homes and never replace them?….that the stress on the combined sewers would be eliminated if the neighborhoods are converted to the wetlands that they were naturally?….that this innovative idea may just make the size of the financial solution to Evansville’s Twin Billion Dollar Albatrosses manageable?
Bundling is a commercial tactic that has been perfected by software companies such as Microsoft to sell products and features that are not necessarily things that people would actually choose on an individual basis. Bundling increases prices and provides marginal if any value to consumers but it does increase the profits of the companies that engage in the practice while enriching their shareholders.
It has often been asserted that effective government works in countercyclical ways to the commercial sector. In the case of bundling this seems to be true when it comes to government. Government at all levels has taken the seminar on bundling from the “Bill Gates Academy of Bundling†and has used this practice to daze and confuse the electorate in an expensive game that does not enrich the shareholders of government the way that the shareholders of Microsoft are enriched by bundling products. The recently maligned practice of earmarking and the long term practice of pork barreling are nothing but government bundling. In the case of government bundling, the citizens of this country are continually extorted into borrowing money to buy things they need that are not available unless they agree to buy a bunch of programs or projects that have minimal value or benefit a small select group of self serving elected officials.
Why is it that we are always presented with legislation that essentially says “you can have that highway that you need, but only if you buy a bridge to nowhere, a boatload of $100 hammers, and endow a museum dedicated to buggy whips in the small town where a Senator grew up� Why do we as citizens tolerate this destructive form of bundling? Maybe it is because in exchange for buying all of the junk associated with a good project that we get to hire someone to watch the grass grow in our little hometown too. Maybe we like the pork from the public barrel or are confused by the complexity of the legislation that we just give up.
There have been two bundled projects floated in Evansville during 2010 that have essentially been ridiculed out of consideration for the cost and lack of practicality that were exposed by the City County Observer and most other local media outlets. Evansville’ bundling projects are of course the Roberts Stadium Ballfields and the recently proposed $2M bond issue.
The Roberts Stadium Ballfields proposal by the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau was essentially a project where the City of Evansville told the ECVB, “We will let you build 8 ball fields if you tear down Roberts Stadium, repair some things in Wesselman Park, and make some infrastructure improvements for the Cityâ€. That one for the price of three deal was called out by the media and rejected by the people that lived in the Roberts Stadium neighborhood. It is quite clear that bundling is what raised the price of a ball field to $2 Million in Evansville and it is also clear that this attempt at bundling is what ultimately led to the postponement or rejection of the entire project. This bundling was also a powerful issue in the 2010 elections.
Bundling was recently attempted in a proposed $2 Million bond issue. This time needed parking garage repairs were piled on with three Front Door Pride houses, and a refinancing of some existing debt. This attempt to bundle projects has already had the negative effect of deferring already deferred maintenance that really is needed to make the Downtown Evansville parking garages Arena worthy.
Why were the parking garages and Front Door Pride bundled together with a third refinancing deal? These are separate issues and should have separate financing. Bundling confuses the public and obscures the eventual accountability. Why were repairs to parking garages not included in the budget for the Evansville Arena? The parking garages stand to see a revenue increase when the Arena opens so let the Arena pay for their repairs. Do the garages really only need $500,000 to make them new again or is this another minimally thought through band aid approach to a much bigger need? One thing is for sure and that is that bundling confused the issue to the point that the City Council was not convinced that the proposed financing was the right thing to do. The City of Evansville is now “back to the drawing board†on how to finance the parking garage repairs.
As a customer of the downtown parking garages I can attest to the need for both maintenance and upgrades. My expectation is that to get the City of Evansville garages into Arena worthy condition will be more than a $500,000 proposition but for purposes of the following proposed financing solution I will assume that the powers that be have their planning in order and the list of repairs and upgrades are all that are really needed.
My proposed solution is to charge $5 to park in the City of Evansville garages for Arena Events. Then pledge the incremental revenue for the first 120,000 arena related parking fees to pay off these repairs as collateral for a loan to fix them up. Assuming the attendance numbers that have been predicted the payoff time will be less than 100 events or about 8 months.
This plan would get the garages fixed before the Arena opens, offer an investor 20% return on the $500,000 and avoid adding to the long term debt of the City of Evansville. It also stops the bundling trick before it expands.
Think about it, here is a solution that is cheap, easy, and meets the current needs. What is keeping the City of Evansville from going forward with a common sense solution that meets their stated needs for getting the parking garages into Arena worthy condition?
HOUSTON, Nov 23, 2010 — DXP Enterprises, Inc. announced today the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of D&F Distributors, Inc. (“D&F”). The acquisition is expected to close effective November 30, 2010. The purchase price of $13.4 million is estimated to consist of approximately $7.5 million to be paid in cash, approximately $2.8 million in the form of promissory notes bearing interest at a rate of 5%, and approximately $3.1 million in the form of shares of DXP common stock. The allocation of the purchase price between cash, notes and common stock will be determined based upon the amount of D&F debt outstanding on the effective closing date. The cash portion of the purchase price will be funded by borrowings under DXP’s existing credit facility.
D&F is headquartered in Indiana and operates out of six locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. D&F distributes and services industrial, commercial and municipal pumps and fabricates pump packages.
The 2010 annualized sales and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for the acquired business are approximately $22 million and $2.8 million, respectively.
David Little, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “D&F is a quality company with great people and excellent pump product expertise. We are excited with the geography and markets they cover and we look forward to our future success together.”
Mac McConnell, Chief Financial Officer, stated, “We anticipate this acquisition to be immediately accretive to earnings.”
DXP Enterprises, Inc. is a leading products and service distributor focused on adding value and total cost savings solutions to MRO and OEM customers in virtually every industry since 1908. DXP provides innovative pumping solutions, integrated supply and MROP (maintenance, repair, operating and production) services that emphasize and utilize DXP’s vast product knowledge and technical expertise in pumps, bearings, power transmission, seals, hose, safety, fluid power, and electrical and industrial supplies. DXP’s breadth of MROP products and service solutions allows DXP to be flexible and customer driven, creating competitive advantages for its customers.
The tourist want to see them, Thailand has made them their national symbol, but they don’t belong on the streets of the cities and resorts. Elephants are a important part of Thai history and culture, but their role in Thailand has changed. Once they were the work horses of Thailand, but time and modern engineering has replaced these gentle giants with diesel engines and modern hydraulics.
Thai Elephant on the Street in Bangkok
Elephants helped to build Thailand, but now their natural habitat, is being replaced with development and expanding cities. Work for elephants is very limited these days and these gentle giants still need to eat. An adult elephant can consume 140–270 kg (300–600 lb) of food a day. So the handlers, (mahouts) in many cases have taken their elephants to the streets, selling small bundles of overpriced food to the tourist who delight in the wonder of being close and feeding these wonderful animals. With the profits they purchase the real meals for their elephants.
But busy streets traffic, and elephants do not mixed, and several animals have been injured in the past. A survey found 74 elephants wandering the streets of Bangkok with their handlers. Bangkok and Pattaya have now banned elephants on the streets within the city limits. The New Elephant Act is being put in place in Bangkok, implanting the elephants with micro chips for tracking, and imposing, large finds if the elephants are on the city streets.
Deputy BMA governor Theerachon Manomaipibul said yesterday that repeat offenders would be warned three times after which they would be fined up to Bt50,000 and have their elephants sent home.
In a effort to find safe homes for these elephants and mahouts Ayutthaya’s Wang Chang Elephant Camp and Pattaya’s Suan Nong Nuch Park have offered to buy elephants and hire their mahouts. The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation has also said they will pay Bt500,000Bt to one million for any elephant whose mahout can not afford to keep it. With the ultimate goal of returning some of their elephants to the wild.
So if you want to see these wonderful animals, take a trip to one of the Elephant Parks or wildlife areas and enjoy them in a safe natural environment.
Michael HumeThey’ve Got Their “Safety” Story Down Pat
The day before Thanksgiving – this year, that’s tomorrow – is one of the biggest days for air travel in the United States each year. If you’re one of the millions of people boarding a plane in the U.S. tomorrow, you have a dismal choice to make when you reach the security checkpoint. You can walk through a machine that will give the security checker a picture of every detail of your naked body, or you can “opt out” of that and instead endure a pat-down that many people think amounts to mild sexual assault.
Yes, it’s taken eleven months, but the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) is finally responding to the threat representated by last year’s failed Christmas Day “underwear bomber” attack. And they’re doing it by focusing their energy and resources not on actual terrorists, but on… you.
As a very-frequent international traveler, I’ve had to submit to many types of security checks, before and after the tragedy of 9/11. I remember boarding an American-bound plane in Frankfurt and having to go through security not once, not twice, but three times… with an x-ray AND a “wand massage” each time. I got so tired of removing shoes, belts, and other metal objects that I decided a few years ago to fly in workout shorts and flip-flops every single time – even in the winter. (This got me pulled out of the security line in Munich two years ago exclusively for the purpose of having the security personnel ridicule me – seriously.) And yes, more than once I’ve had a pat-down that made me wonder if someone should be buying me dinner.
I’m a real pro at the security checkpoint. I take it as my personal responsibility to ensure no one ever has to wait one second for me, either before or after the scanner. I show up at the checkpoint with my laptop out, my liquids sealed in my regulation plastic bag, my boarding pass and ID out and ready for inspection, my cell phone and all other electronics safely stashed in my carry-on, and just enough clothing on to keep me out of jail on indecent exposure charges. The amateurs do all their packing and unpacking, dressing and undressing, once they get to the luggage conveyer at the checkpoint. I have to do all that stuff, too, but I do it elsewhere, which is what makes me a pro.
And I’ve suffered all this with what I feel is a good-natured attitude: “I’ll do whatever it takes for you to keep me safe.”
I’ll submit to the naked photo. I’m a former actor. Some actors are flat-out exhibitionists… I’m more in the category of someone who’s changed clothes in front of other people so many times I just don’t care about being seen by people with whom I’m not intimate. But, of course, most people do not have the same perspective, so the naked photo is tougher for most to endure. Several online groups have suggested that travelers opt-out en masse tomorrow, specifically to jam up the system with a lot of slower pat-downs.
That won’t keep the TSA from doing them, though. Get this: you have about a 25% chance of having to endure both the naked photo AND the grope.
The only real way to opt out is to find another mode of transportation.
I’ll submit to the grope, too. Not because I relish it, but because I have nothing to hide, and because I do want them to keep the airplanes safe.
However, there are some things I resent about the way our government has dealt with this.
I resent the unbelievable amount of money the government has spent on expensive naked-photo machines and TSA gropers… especially when they’re willing to raise taxes not only on regular taxpayers, but on the entrepreneurs who take risks, start businesses, and actually create jobs for new taxpayers. Meanwhile, our masters in the government elite – both political parties – grow rich in office.
I resent that I, who have been an upstanding law-abiding American citizen since birth, need to be controlled to the level of intrusions to my personal privacy… but illegal immigrants can get everything from a driver’s license to a home mortgage without submitting so much as a photo ID.
I resent the fact that the TSA gropers wear gloves so that they can be protected from any germs you might be carrying on your clothes… but they don’t wear masks, which might protect your health from whatever bugs they brought to work. When someone’s intimate enough with you to grope you, you can count on airborne germs and viruses from their exhalations.
I resent that they’re locking down the concourse, but they won’t touch the border.
And I resent the fact that, if a real terrorist had to submit to such indignities at a place like Guantanamo Bay, they’d have a real chance to find an ACLU lawyer who would sue the government for violating their rights… but no one thinks grabbing my junk or taking naked pictures of me constitutes the slightest violation of my rights.
Meanwhile, the terrorists must be doubled over in laughter, out there in their caves. Or, dreadfully, in their trendy downtown U.S. lofts.
I know it’s tough to figure out how to keep us all safe. I think most TSA personnel you’ll run into tomorrow are decent enough folks, just trying to do their jobs. They’re not the ones I blame. It’s the government executives who came up with this lunacy.
Want to keep American airports safe? How about starting by keeping the borders secure?
by Michael D. Hume, M.S.
Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people maximize their potential and enjoy inspiring lives. As part of his inspirational leadership mission, he coaches executives and leaders in growing their personal sense of well-being through wealth creation and management, along with personal vitality.
Michael and his wife, Kathryn, divide their time between homes in California and Colorado. They are very proud of their offspring, who grew up to include a homemaker, a rock star, a service talent, and a television expert. Two grandchildren also warm their hearts! Visit Michael’s web site at http://michaelhume.net
IS IT TRUE that the first words out of Cheryl Musgrave’s mouth at the Evansville City Council meeting last night were words of support and praise for Tom Barnett’s presentation and his goals of repairing the dilapidated parts of the City of Evansville?…that to a large extent, Musgrave’s biggest critiques of Mr. Barnett’s presentation were about how it was long on ideals and short on details?…that Ms. Musgrave pointed out accurately that the Evansville Historic District was transformed from a neighborhood at risk to a lively and functional residential area without a TIF District or a Redevelopment area designation?….that her assessment of what made the Historic District thrive was all done with private investment without the tools available to government imposed upon the district?….that Musgrave and Barnett both seem to recognize the BILLION DOLLAR problem for what it is, have similar visions for what should happen, but differ on the means to a common end?
IS IT TRUE that Cheryl Musgrave is for less government, less external control, and more private investment?….that Barnett freely acknowledges that government does not have the resources to even scratch the surface of the BILLION DOLLAR problem and is in complete agreement with Musgrave that PRIVATE INVESTMENT is the only potential solution to the BILLION DOLLAR ALBATROSS around the City of Evansville’s neck?…that both Musgrave and Barnett live in very nice homes that happen to be located in the proposed Art’s District TIF?….that both would benefit greatly in enhanced lifestyle, enhanced security, and financially if the BILLION DOLLAR ALBATROSS were slain?
IS IT TRUE that Cheryl Musgrave proposed a smaller government, lower tax, and more family friendly approach to slaying the BILLION DOLLAR ALBATROSS? …that Cheryl called on the City of Evansville to form and disclose more details about the plan for the Art’s District TIF?….that Musgrave suggested designating the area as a â€County Option Income Tax†Free Zone?….that making such a declaration would encourage businesses and residents to choose that location to live and work?…..that Musgrave suggested that all permit fees be waived for projects in the area?…..that Ms. Musgrave suggested that publishing an acquisition list of homes that “may†be taken by the City of Evansville through the power of condemnation hurts the properties ability to get loans to make improvements?….that Cheryl pointed out that the schools that serve this particular area are perennial underachievers?
IS IT TRUE that young professionals first concern in choosing a place to live is often the performance of the neighborhood schools?….that improving the schools, driving down the crime, promoting private investment, and raising the tax base are all supported by both Tom Barnett and Cheryl Musgrave?…..that Tom Barnett sees INNOVATION and PRIVATE INVESTMENT as the only ways that the City of Evansville will ever solve the BILLION DOLLAR problem?….that last night at the Evansville City Council meeting that Cheryl Musgrave disclosed at least three INNOVATIONS and paved the way to a PRIVATE INVESTMENT friendly set of rules?…..that both of these people are the kind of people who may just form the nucleus of a group that can develop and execute a plan to rid the City of Evansville of its BILLION DOLLAR ALBATROSS?
IS IT TRUE that Tom Barnett, Director of the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development gave a very clear, truthful, and aware assessment of the housing stock of the City of Evansville before the Evansville City Council last night?….that Mr. Barnett stated that at least 20% of the housing stock in the City of Evansville is in such dilapidated condition that these houses need in excess of $100,000 of repairs and maintenance each?…that he stated that there are at least 8,400 such structures in Evansville?…that he also stated that it could cost over $1 Billion (yes that is with a B) to bring the housing stock of the City of Evansville up to snuff?
IS IT TRUE that Mr. Barnett backed up his numbers with picture after picture of ramshackle homes and shuttered businesses?…..that some City Council members seemed to be shocked at the magnitude of the problem?….that Barnett’s presentation was done to seek approval for an Art’s District TIF in a 50 block area of South Evansville that includes the historic district, Haynies Corner, and Goosetown?….that Councilmen Watts and Walker pointed out that vast areas of the Jacobsville neighborhood and the west side suffer from similar dilapidation issues?…..that Mr. Barnett told the City Council that the City of Evansville gets only $4M per year from the federal government with which to address this Billion Dollar Problem?….that Barnett also stated that there is NOT and there NEVER will be a MAGIC BULLET FROM THE GOVERNMENT to fix this dilapidation problem?…..that Tom Barnett admitted that PRIVATE INVESTMENT is the only real solution but also expressed the fact that the only businesses that are currently doing well in South Evansville are SLUMLORDS? ….that truth be told, even the SLUMLORDS are not prospering as is evidenced by the large number of homes that are shuttered and available at tax sales and sheriff’s auctions? ….that the term “Detroit Style Meltdown†was uttered as a possibility by at least one member of the Evansville City Council?
IS IT TRUE that awareness and realization of a problem is the first step to recovery?… that Tom Barnett showed much awareness and courage to stand before the City Council and call the City of Evansville out for having a BILLION DOLLAR problem with dilapidated housing stock?….that the same area of town disproportionally suffers from crime, drug trafficking, prostitution, and COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS? …..that the CSO problem has been estimated to cost over a HALF BILLION DOLLARS and has brought the wrath of EPA lawsuits and fines onto the City of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that Mr. Barnett was questioned by City Councilman Dan McGinn, Cheryl Musgrave, and others about the need to declare some well developed properties in the Historic District to be in need of redevelopment?….that Barnett’s response was that those beautifully restored homes suffered depressed values because of their proximity to dilapidated neighborhoods and criminal activity?….that Barnett’s assessment that a $1 Million home may actually be a $3 Million home if the ghetto next door is rejuvenated as well?….that the BILLION DOLLAR dilapidation problem is costing the City of Evansville more than a BILLION DOLLARS in assessed tax base?….that Councilman Adams asked the question “if I have a wonderfully restored Victorian home that is a block from a crack house do I loseâ€?….that Tom Barnett simply answered that question with a YES?…that Tom Loesch the chairman of the Blackford Grove Neighborhood Association, used his own home as an example of a terrible investment?…that Mr. Loesch bought his home for about $53,000 and spent about $250,000 making improvements to it? …that his recent assessment of the house for tax purposes, the value came back at about $51,000? ….that as long as $50,000 houses are costing $300,000 that no investor based private money will even consider Evansville’s dilapidated South Side as a viable place to invest?
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville City Council approved the Art’s District TIF as Tom Barnett requested?…that as aware and courageous as Mr. Barnett’s presentation was that it was quite lacking in details of what would actually be happening to fix this BILLION DOLLAR problem?….that much more planning will need to be done before realization of any sustainable progress will be able to happen?….that the resources of the City of Evansville as severely limited when it comes to fixing a BILLION DOLLAR problem?….that at a rate of $4 Million per year it will take 250 years to fix this problem?…that $4 Million per year is not even enough to “stop the bleedingâ€?….that the amount of money available from government is the equivalent of trying to repair a $1,000 problem on a $4 budget?…that what is needed as Tom Barnett so clearly stated are INNOVATION and PRIVATE INVESTMENT?
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer congratulates and thanks Tom Barnett for saying what so many senior government officials of the City of Evansville over many years have not had the courage or the awareness to say?….that Evansville has heard enough from public officials about “how great a place to raise a family and how the recession has not hit Evansville”?….if Goosetown was such a great place to raise a family that the Front Door Pride homes would not be sitting vacant?….that sometimes the truth hurts but that truth is always needed to fix problems?….that exposing a gaping wound for what it is takes courage, hard work, and a certain selflessness?….that Tom Barnett may have just shaken some sense into some elected officials and some of the people of Evansville with his graphic but accurate presentation?
IS IT TRUE that Cheryl Musgrave followed Mr. Barnett with a presentation of her own that brought up some new ideas about how to attract private investment to the area?….that some of her ideas certainly fit the term INNOVATION?….that Barnett and Musgrave have histories of creating positive action without worrying about being loved by all?…that dare we say the two of them might just have the potential to form the nucleus of a team that can solve BILLION DOLLAR problems?….that IS IT TRUE PART 2 will address some of Musgrave’s ideas?
