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Are you really saying the construction projects and and our sheetz economy is a model for the nation? You realize TIF is nothing new and California nixed their program after they realized it was a raw deal.
What do you predict the average pay will be for these 1000's of jobs?
I actually like Chipotle, but I don't feel like Morgantown is a better place after sitting in traffic for 30 minutes to eat a burrito at the UTC.
Are you really saying the construction projects and and our sheetz economy is a model for the nation? You realize TIF is nothing new and California nixed their program after they realized it was a raw deal.
What do you predict the average pay will be for these 1000's of jobs?
I actually like Chipotle, but I don't feel like Morgantown is a better place after sitting in traffic for 30 minutes to eat a burrito at the UTC.
So you would rather the area be dead and not drawing in new businesses? You would rather there not be more jobs, even if they are on the lower end of the pay scale? I'm sure the people that get those jobs would disagree with you.
I'll put up with the traffic if its means there are jobs and economic activity. Much better than having double digit unemployment rates. If you hate University Town Center that much, don't go there. There are plenty of other dining and shopping options in the region. Just because it's not your cup of tea doesn't mean it's bad for the area.
So you would rather the area be dead and not drawing in new businesses? You would rather there not be more jobs, even if they are on the lower end of the pay scale? I'm sure the people that get those jobs would disagree with you.
I'll put up with the traffic if its means there are jobs and economic activity. Much better than having double digit unemployment rates. If you hate University Town Center that much, don't go there. There are plenty of other dining and shopping options in the region. Just because it's not your cup of tea doesn't mean it's bad for the area.
Gee, I didn't realize the area was dead until UTC came along. Good to know
Yes, a reliance on low wage or non livable wage jobs are bad for an area since the rest of us have to subsidize these businesses by picking up the tab.
It's puzzling that every one of your posts is of a negative tone. You never find any good news here, in spite of the fact that our economy is a model for the nation, and we have a vibrant and growing city. There is no "free" TIF money. Every cent of that money is generated locally, which is the case with just about everything that happens around here. We do not have state government funding one project after another in our city (they scarcely bother to pave our roads), and that TIF money is developing areas that are vastly underutilized and not producing tax revenue in the first place, but will produce lots of it in the coming years.
You probably haven't paid any attention to the facts, as seems to be your practice, but the projections for this project are at least 1,000 tax paying jobs that don't exist now, and hundreds of millions of dollars in construction that will employ construction workers from all over West Virginia as well as neighboring areas in the process, like most of our projects around here. Our local workforce is way past fully employed for construction purposes, and in many parts of our state they are virtually idle. Those guys can come here to work, put in their five days, then take their paychecks home to Charleston, Beckley, Parkersburg, and so forth and use the money to support their families and pay local taxes where they live. If you actually spend any time here looking instead of finding something to knock. you will notice construction vehicles from all over our state and other areas too. This project absolutely benefits everyone all along the line.
If you don't think it worthwhile to have a TIF district when creating many jobs, how could you support the state laying out $15 million in public funds in another city in our state to pump up a vacant stamping plant to create 200 jobs? This isn't costing the public anything, because nothing is being produced on that land now and there is minimal tax revenue from it.
The distribution center that you find so mysterious will employ hundreds of blue collar workers, something that is much needed in these parts. Since that area is in growth mode, it needs the usual component of restaurants and shops found anywhere in our state and elsewhere. What do you find so bad about that? Whether or not you like Chipotle's and so forth matters little in the process. There are thousands who do like them or they wouldn't be built in the first place, and those businesses employ people and pay taxes too.
I actually agree with everything except in bold, "a model for the nation" is goin overboard...you actually imply that the rest of the country should stop everything theyre doin, look at Morgantown, and go "oh thats how we should do it?!" lmao.....As if Morgantown is the only spot in the country that is growing, tons of cities in Texas were still growing even through the recession....
You can't grow an economy forever by building strip malls. The jobs that it creates don't support many families, nor should we expect them to. There are so many strip malls now that we're getting to an interesting point -- Darwinian selection is going to kick in somewhere, and unfortunately the downtown, though not a strip mall, will be one of the first suffer from over-strip-mall-ification. Bringing in jobs that pay above minimum wage is about the best way to support more business, so hopefully the new developments to the west side of I79 will serve that function and recruit some corporate jobs from elsewhere -- if they use that space to build more retail outlets, we've doomed our area to a rather unsightly future of empty storefronts.
Interesting comment made by Bloom. If this is what developers and local leaders are shooting for, this may lead to exactly what you are talking about adam36.
Quote:
“It’s actually going to change the structure and develop Monongalia County out toward the western end and then hopefully toward Blacksville and that area," said Bloom. "I think the big thing people are going to realize is that Morgantown may not be the focal point of the county in the near future.”
It sounds to me that Bloom is merely pandering to his constituents. Yes, there may be a focus to the area just west of I-79, but beyond that it will remain a sparsely-populated area in rough terrain. There's not much land out that way and no highway access. There could be more oil and gas operations, but nothing large enough to take any attention away from Morgantown.
I actually agree with everything except in bold, "a model for the nation" is goin overboard...you actually imply that the rest of the country should stop everything theyre doin, look at Morgantown, and go "oh thats how we should do it?!" lmao.....As if Morgantown is the only spot in the country that is growing, tons of cities in Texas were still growing even through the recession....
You're right... other cities grew even during the awful recession, but ours grew because of a very diverse economic base. Most of the others grew due to strength in a specific sector. Still, I do not seek to minimize the positive things happening elsewhere. We don't have any large cities in our state, but our little city received national recognition for it's economy from more than one national source.
It sounds to me that Bloom is merely pandering to his constituents. Yes, there may be a focus to the area just west of I-79, but beyond that it will remain a sparsely-populated area in rough terrain. There's not much land out that way and no highway access. There could be more oil and gas operations, but nothing large enough to take any attention away from Morgantown.
I agree, and I disagree. And, I think Tim is on to something too. The city of Morgantown is 10 square miles, and most within the city limits is pretty fully developed. We aren't going to attract many more large operations within city limits with the exception of healthcare and research enterprises. Factories and large warehouses will, of necessity, be located outside of city limits. There is growth taking place in every direction here except for the west, and this will change that.
To expand on Tim's comment, I believe Bloom meant there is a whole lot of growth potential to the west, and I disagree that it will remain sparsely populated if the right things take place. There is plenty of space for smaller, plastics related production facilities on the western end of the county. Those facilities do not need large parcels of land on which to operate. Also, I-68 expansion would draw a lot of traffic that now goes on the over burdened PA Turnpike and I-70 to I-68 which would add to the population using restaurants, hotels, gas stations, truck stops, and so forth on that side of the county, in ways we aren't seeing today. With good infrastructure, there is every reason to believe the areas between Morgantown and Moundsville can have highly significant economic growth. We aren't talking about just a few tourism jobs here.
I've read that studies predict major business growth to the western side of the county. The city will likely see a large increase in student housing and a decrease in business. At some point we should start to think about "one" Morgantown. If Morgantown, Cheat Lake, Granville, Westover, and Star City combined, we would become the second largest city in the state.
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