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The city of Greensboro has a great many pressing needs. Pretty buildings just ain't one of 'em.
OK - so what is the budget for this particular building? And what would the budget be for an "ugly but functional" building that meets all of the program requirements? What is the difference between the two? Which "pressing need" would you address with said difference, and what progress could you make on the other issue with the given additional budget?
OK - so what is the budget for this particular building? And what would the budget be for an "ugly but functional" building that meets all of the program requirements? What is the difference between the two? Which "pressing need" would you address with said difference, and what progress could you make on the other issue with the given additional budget?
The cost difference between the building you'd erect and mine is some amount greater than zero. Toward which pressing need would I invest the savings? With one of the highest rates of gun violence in all of North Carolina? Umm....law enforcement? Yeah, that's it. Law enforcement. For hiring, training and equipping the best and brightest recruits we can find and getting them out on the street. Would it make "progress"? Maybe you can tell me.......what do folks need more of in East Greensboro? Buildings as art......or felony arrests?
The GSO city budget for this year is $688mm and the tax values of properties (and therefore tax revenue) are rising fast. Come on now, stop acting like we're some podunk town in the middle of nowhere.
We've got a fundamental difference regarding the definition of podunk. And the value of $3 million. In any budget. A wise man said, take care of your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.
OK - so what is the budget for this particular building? And what would the budget be for an "ugly but functional" building that meets all of the program requirements? What is the difference between the two? Which "pressing need" would you address with said difference, and what progress could you make on the other issue with the given additional budget?
Our priorities and expectations of our local government are likely very different. I can live with it.
I would argue that implying that you can get inspired or beautiful buildings on the cheap is a false premise. Developers have shown over and over again that the low bid jobs are all extremely uninspired and repetitive copy/paste jobs of the same templates, ad nauseum. It's why we have the same 5 over 1 apartment buildings going up everywhere all the time. Very beautiful private developments, those are...
Public projects are the best way to beautify a city and (dare I say) it should be the obligation of a city to invest in itself and haveprioritize aesthetics, because if not "us" (the collective taxpayers and their representatives), then who? Waiting on private investors to come in and create beautiful spaces, investors who have a profit motive and absolutely no incentive to spend an extra buck on aesthetics, is like waiting for Godot.
Finally, the difference between a boring functional building and a beautiful functional building is not a huge budgetary difference. It's peanuts in the grand scheme, and hence why I think it is so important to opt to spend those marginal dollars when you have the chance. A few million dollars will be forgotten about and completely immaterial in a few years, but the building will exist and impact the city and its residents on a daily basis, for decades if not longer.
Which prosperous and successful cities in this country have magnificent skylines that weren't created by private investors? With a profit motive. They prepared for Godot.....and he came.
As you said above, we clearly have different priorities and desires for local government's role in the city. Let's just leave it at that.
One thing I'll ask of you: Pick your favorite city with an awesome skyline - NYC, Chicago, Washington, Seattle, whatever - then google "public architecture [city name]". It's not going to be boring/ugly/functional buildings that you see, it's going to be beautiful and interesting and timeless, and those buildings came first, well before the private money built the skyscrapers. Maybe the only city that breaks this mold that I can think of is Las Vegas, for obvious reasons.
The way to "prepare for Godot" to actually show up is to invest in yourself, just like all those cities with the pretty skylines did. That's my whole point. There's a difference between "preparing" and "waiting"; doing nothing other is "waiting" and you'll wait for eternity. Investing in yourself is "preparing" and that will actually lead to exciting things happening. I am glad we agree!
As you said above, we clearly have different priorities and desires for local government's role in the city. Let's just leave it at that.
One thing I'll ask of you: Pick your favorite city with an awesome skyline - NYC, Chicago, Washington, Seattle, whatever - then google "public architecture [city name]". It's not going to be boring/ugly/functional buildings that you see, it's going to be beautiful and interesting and timeless, and those buildings came first, well before the private money built the skyscrapers. Maybe the only city that breaks this mold that I can think of is Las Vegas, for obvious reasons.
The way to "prepare for Godot" to actually show up is to invest in yourself, just like all those cities with the pretty skylines did. That's my whole point. There's a difference between "preparing" and "waiting"; doing nothing other is "waiting" and you'll wait for eternity. Investing in yourself is "preparing" and that will actually lead to exciting things happening. I am glad we agree!
Preparation is the Randolph Megasite. Preparation is the Airport Megasite. Preparation is the completed Urban Loop. What do CEOs tell us that brings their lifeblood of employment to a city? Access to a skilled and educated workforce. Sound and suitable infrastructure. Reasonable levels of taxation. Honest, efficient and predictable local government. Adequate levels of public safety. Oh, cute buildings make the list.......right below availability of public toilets.
As you said above, we clearly have different priorities and desires for local government's role in the city. Let's just leave it at that.
One thing I'll ask of you: Pick your favorite city with an awesome skyline - NYC, Chicago, Washington, Seattle, whatever - then google "public architecture [city name]". It's not going to be boring/ugly/functional buildings that you see, it's going to be beautiful and interesting and timeless, and those buildings came first, well before the private money built the skyscrapers. Maybe the only city that breaks this mold that I can think of is Las Vegas, for obvious reasons.
The way to "prepare for Godot" to actually show up is to invest in yourself, just like all those cities with the pretty skylines did. That's my whole point. There's a difference between "preparing" and "waiting"; doing nothing other is "waiting" and you'll wait for eternity. Investing in yourself is "preparing" and that will actually lead to exciting things happening. I am glad we agree!
I've got friends in both St. Louis and Baltimore. Lovely architecture. And Godot couldn't find 'em on a map.
As you said above, we clearly have different priorities and desires for local government's role in the city. Let's just leave it at that.
One thing I'll ask of you: Pick your favorite city with an awesome skyline - NYC, Chicago, Washington, Seattle, whatever - then google "public architecture [city name]". It's not going to be boring/ugly/functional buildings that you see, it's going to be beautiful and interesting and timeless, and those buildings came first, well before the private money built the skyscrapers. Maybe the only city that breaks this mold that I can think of is Las Vegas, for obvious reasons.
The way to "prepare for Godot" to actually show up is to invest in yourself, just like all those cities with the pretty skylines did. That's my whole point. There's a difference between "preparing" and "waiting"; doing nothing other is "waiting" and you'll wait for eternity. Investing in yourself is "preparing" and that will actually lead to exciting things happening. I am glad we agree!
Rumor has it that Akio Toyoda himself was swayed by a glimpse of the blueprints for the proposed Gate City Blvd. building. And to think we wasted all that money on bulldozers.....
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