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Cities are for all people. Where else to build a federal halfway house - Chapin? Where is Greenville's? They do have one.
How about somewhere else other than a block and half away from what the city hopes to be a premiere urban development? It can even be somewhere else in downtown proper, but this clustering of social services organizations is hurting economic development.
I just think that line of thinking among city leaders, developers and the public is a cop out. There are enough parcels of land to be developed that the population being served by social service organizations in the city, where one would expect to find such organizations, would be buried and lost if they would just develop them. A city isn't meant to be a "vanilla" place. Grow up, Columbia.
To play devil's advocate, there is a large homeless shelter just a block down from where the halfway house will be. I dont care too much either way, but then again, why not consolidate it to an area where it'd make sense to be, like near another prison or detention center? Broad River?
To play devil's advocate, there is a large homeless shelter just a block down from where the halfway house will be. I dont care too much either way, but then again, why not consolidate it to an area where it'd make sense to be, like near another prison or detention center? Broad River?
I'm not passionate one way or the other about this particular development. I just refuse to believe there's not enough room for everyone on a big downtown grid with so many parcels that currently are blank slates. It's a city.
Yeah.. I dont think anyone is arguing that we DONT need halfway houses or that we DONT want them in the City or in Downtown.. I think aside from the perception there is the potential to saturate an area with these types of uses.. which is part of the reason downtown is struggling with the perception issue that it is now... I think once you start to turn the corner from a strictly office/commercial/retail downtown as Columbia has been up until the mid 90s.. to mixed uses that include residential you now have opened the door for more scrutiny when it comes to these types of uses. Cities have torn down low income public housing projects under the same premise of not concentrating these types of uses and residents have been dispersed throughout the region...I just think the city needs to be careful and intentional on how it balances all of these uses especially in a 'redevelopment area'
I just think that line of thinking among city leaders, developers and the public is a cop out. There are enough parcels of land to be developed that the population being served by social service organizations in the city, where one would expect to find such organizations, would be buried and lost if they would just develop them. A city isn't meant to be a "vanilla" place. Grow up, Columbia.
"If they would just develop them"--who is "they"? The market will dictate what gets built and where. The fact that these parcels have not yet been developed means the demand is obviously not there. And the big issue here is that a potential catalyst in their development--the development Bull Street campus--could be negatively impacted by such a facility.
Not wanting a halfway house a block and a half away from what will potentially be the city's most significant urban development project to date doesn't make Columbia "vanilla." It's a matter of pure practicality.
Quote:
Originally Posted by waccamatt
How many people are supposed to be housed in this halfway house? Is it really that big a deal?
About 50, according to the article. And I'd say that if the perception is that it's a big deal, then it is. The timing for this couldn't be worse, with the recent finalization of the sale of the Bull Street campus after years of planning and negotiating to fresh concerns about how the homeless and vagrants are hurting downtown businesses.
I don't see it. The complaining business owner who was on WIS did his business more harm talking about it than just letting it happen.
Last edited by Charlestondata; 07-31-2013 at 05:50 PM..
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