Scranton KOZ decisions

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by JD CSummit

I thought the Ice Box should have gotten theirs too. i agre with all the other decisions but i really felt like the bob burke deserved it. Hes the only one thats shown the positives with the KOZ, i mean look what hes done with that complex there. Whatever though, the decisions have been made, good luck to the assisted living facility and lets see what impact it has on the rest of the projects.

Bob is a joke. First he doesn't even own the land that the ice box is on, he leased it from the city for 99 years and still owes the city $600,000 for the former DPW land which is what he is trying to develope now. The ice box has been on shakey financial ground for the last few years and I doubt it will make it another 10 years.

Bob Burke is nothing more then a Doherty hump, he worked the polls on election day in greenridge with a shirt on and passing out literature from the "Concerned Republicans for Chris Doherty" and Bob is a registered democrat.....I guess it didn't get you your KOZ Bob did it......

Mr. Kelly and his presentation for the nursing home was the only one that was well planned and put together showing initiative and forward thinking. He deserved it, not Bob Burke. If watched the meetings on the KOZ then you would have seen Bob up there acting like he was entitled to it and tap dancing around the $600,000 like a fool. Burke deserves to fall on his financial ass for the crap that he has been pulling with the city over that $600,000 and believe me the city could use it.

I say bravo and it turned out the best possible way for the taxpayers in Scranton.

If Austin pulls the plug on Mt. Pleasant then oh well because if he cannot develope a business park without a KOZ then maybe he should talk to his pal Doherty and get the business taxes lowered so that it will encourage business instead of handouts of free taxes.....

I say leave the land alone and get the rest of the city's finances in order and straighten out the business taxes so that we can work on filling the already 50 empty spaces that we have in the downtown instead of building more.

[blip]

Originally Posted by scrantonluna

A park would be nice but also a waste of prime real
estate.

I disagree strongly. A park belongs in prime real estate, and helps spur development and investment around it. It's a shame all of this town's parks are out on the fringes of town.

I don't think Hyde Park or the western edge of downtown will become the next Upper West/East Side or anything, but this could really provide a nice anchor to the areas by the river, and for the new River Walk. And, it would eventually lead to further investment in properties around the river and blocks all around the park.

Proximity to the highway is definitely a plus for something commercial, and something of a minus for the park. Having consolidated hospitals there seems like a good idea too. (Didn't know that was being discussed..)

But, hard for me to be convinced that there's much need for consolidated hospitals, and hospitals rarely mesh well into the city fabric-- *they're* often better off in the fringes. So I'd still favor a park, but would also love to hear other ideas..

[JD CSummit]

Weluvpa, i didnt realize bb owed the city that much money, that changes my opinion a great deal. i just looked at how he filled all that retail space in that large building in a very short time period. There are med offices there, a gym, and various other business ventures there that all were not in the city beforehand. By definition, thats what the KOZ was for, attract new business, correct? That was my only reason for saying that i thought he deserved it.

As for the med plaza, i believe that location is perfect for a business park. That location, once the buildings start going up, should lure new business with or without a KOZ in place. the problem is that the Chamber feels like the only draw is the KOZ and w/o it they have nothing.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by JD CSummit

the problem is that the Chamber feels like the only draw is the KOZ and w/o it they have nothing.

They don't have anything without...the companies will leave in 10 years unless Doherty lowers the business taxes in the city.....

The idea of companies coming to the city lies solely on the mayors shoulders...He refuses to lower the taxes and cut back on spending and keeps introducing record budgets with borrowing included to cover the budget....That will never allow him to lower taxes and thus will continue to be a road block for companies coming here...

Why do you guys think that archbald, olyphant and moosic get all the bigger companies.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by blip

From the Times article, it sounded like he wasn't too hopeful, but was at least going to continue to pursue marketing the site..

As for the clearing of the site.. Walked by it last night, at least it looks like we'll get a nice sledding hill out of it.

Could be a nice, fairly central park some day..

I agree....a park would be a great idea for that "Mt Pleasant" location. Nice central location. West Side doesn't have any parks other than a couple of small playgrounds. A "corporate center" is a dumb use of that land...it will just drain more tenants from a downtown that has enough vacant office space as it is.

They wouldn't even have to do much to make that land a park...plant some grass and trees, put in a walking trail, some benches, and a playground or two.