Comments on: More on the inevitable growth crowd http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/05/08/more_on_the_inevitable_growth_crowd/ Peace, Justice and Hockey Sat, 17 May 2008 01:52:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Steve http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/05/08/more_on_the_inevitable_growth_crowd/#comment-18001 Steve Fri, 09 May 2008 16:58:54 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/?p=449#comment-18001 For the Pearl, I believe the city subsidy was about $80 million, including removing and rebuilding the Lovejoy ramps, the streetcar, and two new parks. This does not include the ongoing operational expenses for the streetcar (at least $1 million a year) or maintenance on the parks. That's a lot of simoleons in my book. I'll leave it to others to debunk the <a href="http://portlandgentro.typepad.com/portland_gentrification_a/2008/03/pearl-shut-your.html" rel="nofollow">myth of affordable housing in the Pearl</a>. For the Pearl, I believe the city subsidy was about $80 million, including removing and rebuilding the Lovejoy ramps, the streetcar, and two new parks. This does not include the ongoing operational expenses for the streetcar (at least $1 million a year) or maintenance on the parks.

That’s a lot of simoleons in my book.

I’ll leave it to others to debunk the myth of affordable housing in the Pearl.

]]> By: Jesse http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/05/08/more_on_the_inevitable_growth_crowd/#comment-17998 Jesse Fri, 09 May 2008 14:20:51 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/?p=449#comment-17998 I don't think that the city's given all that many subsidies to condos. In fact, the majority of "subsidy" in the pearl for condos is actually state historic tax credits--a program available to any historic building being renovated anywhere in the state approved by the State Historic Preservation Office. You also don't speak about three issues that are important to the conversation: 1. The source of these infrastructure dollars are tax increment financing that is generated by the properties in the urban renewal area that the properties are in. The original mission of PDC was to use these dollars to increase property taxes by revitalizing these neighborhoods. 2. Since the passage of Measure 5 & 50, this has made this mission have to focus almost entirely on the creation of new units--office, industrial or residential. In other words, densify. This is why urban renewal areas in neighborhoods (Gateway, Interstate, Lents) generate much fewer dollars. 3. The pearl has a greater percentage of permanently (non profit) affordable units than any other neighborhood in Portland. I don’t think that the city’s given all that many subsidies to condos. In fact, the majority of “subsidy” in the pearl for condos is actually state historic tax credits–a program available to any historic building being renovated anywhere in the state approved by the State Historic Preservation Office.

You also don’t speak about three issues that are important to the conversation:

1. The source of these infrastructure dollars are tax increment financing that is generated by the properties in the urban renewal area that the properties are in. The original mission of PDC was to use these dollars to increase property taxes by revitalizing these neighborhoods.

2. Since the passage of Measure 5 & 50, this has made this mission have to focus almost entirely on the creation of new units–office, industrial or residential. In other words, densify. This is why urban renewal areas in neighborhoods (Gateway, Interstate, Lents) generate much fewer dollars.

3. The pearl has a greater percentage of permanently (non profit) affordable units than any other neighborhood in Portland.

]]> By: Portland Gentrification http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/05/08/more_on_the_inevitable_growth_crowd/#comment-17991 Portland Gentrification Thu, 08 May 2008 22:51:22 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/?p=449#comment-17991 That Metblog post is puerility and nothing more. The phrase "get over it" is what people say who don't have what it takes to examine things. That Metblog post is puerility and nothing more. The phrase “get over it” is what people say who don’t have what it takes to examine things.

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