Johnson City is "Stimulating"!

[SarahSal]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

So.....am I reading correctly....not one penny of stimulus money JC is getting (that we will be paying back for generations to come) will be going to address the flooding issues of downtown JC??
Does JC even WANT a downtown? Is it just being ignored totally?
I just don't get it.

Yes! WOW, Mouse, I vehemently align myself with your comments! How can it possibly be that the city when offered a huge financial opportunity to address these long-standing problems has once again chosen to neglect them? (Yet the newly proposed, undeniably popular school stadium is right on target to happen within about a year!) I'd really believed that this time they would have put downtown at the very top of the list!
Frankly, I'm furious they've chosen to continue to totally disregard the obvious and desperate need to correct downtown's flooding. They also are still obviously blind to the benefits of a restored downtown. Just who is in control of their thought/funding processes? We surely do need some new leaders with even a dose of imagination and vision!

[SarahSal]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Oh, it's in Ducktown. That's surprising!

If it IS the Ducktown area (near us in Limestone) that would be way off in the middle of a huge, very sparsely occupied area getting closer to the Greene County line... WHY would they choose this kind of area for improvements over their significantly more populated downtown?
(This place really makes me crazy sometimes!)

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by rccrain

MB, I don't think we can assume that. I think JC turned in the downtown water project, it just has not been funded yet. Perhaps it doesn't qualify?

However, the optimistic way to look at it is with these funds coming in, it may free up other budgeted funds to be concentrated on the downtown area.

Interesting thoughts rccrain,
I can not for the life of me see how it would NOT qualify though, between the amount of low income housing in that area, the median income levels in that area, the preservation aspect, the use of "green" building aspects that can be included.......it just seems like down town JC would be an exact fit for the requirements that have been publicized as requirements for the stimulus money. I didn't think there was going to be another round of funding for these city/town infrastructure pots of money? If there is and there is still more to be allotted, then maybe there is a hope.

[jabogitlu]

Perhaps *we* all need to write to Phil Roe, bypassing Jane Myron and the band of brigadoons?

On a related note, I see that the apartment rehabbing at the Down Home (well across the road) is coming along quite nicely. It's projects like this that the stimulus money was designed for. I just hope that they won't be rented out section 8 or other subsidizations - that'll kill them right off. On the other hand, I'm not sure JC has that kind of urban pioneer ready to live there. Pretty sketchy place.

[SarahSal]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Perhaps *we* all need to write to Phil Roe, bypassing Jane Myron and the band of brigadoons?

On a related note, I see that the apartment rehabbing at the Down Home (well across the road) is coming along quite nicely. It's projects like this that the stimulus money was designed for. I just hope that they won't be rented out section 8 or other subsidizations - that'll kill them right off. On the other hand, I'm not sure JC has that kind of urban pioneer ready to live there. Pretty sketchy place.

I like that idea a lot, Jab! Perhaps, also a note to Ms. Myron and the "brigadoons" (cute)...

And, yes, Marvin's place is looking *much* better with the pillars and decks. I had a good friend (now in CLT) who lived in the complex that burned while she was at ETSU. She loved her apartment and thought it really charming.. But, I agree, still a little "sketchy"..

And, a while back I'd found (and thought I posted) JC's original presentations for stimulus funding.. I *thought* downtown flooding mitigation was on there?

[rccrain]

I know that JC asked for everything they could possibly ask for, including funds for downtown flood mitigation - I watched this city meeting.

Bottom line, if you're criticizing JC on it's stimulus requests, you're out of line. JC put A LOT more effort into this than any other locality in our region.

I speculate that the state balked at the price tag.