Blog — Vote No on Issue 9

Thursday, June 18, 2009

NYT: New Rail Lines Spur Urban Revival

Cities around the country are seeing the economic development benefits that passenger rail lines have brought, according to this article in Sunday's New York Times.

As the article states: "[Currently, there are] $250 billion worth of light-rail, streetcar or high-speed bus projects being planned nationwide.

Many cities are inspired by the success of Denver; Charlotte, N.C.; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City and others in combining transit and development to revitalize downtowns and suburbs."

So while other cities across the country are realizing the benefits of passenger rail, including the increased jobs and economic development boost, a few of the same old naysayers want to stop progress in Cincinnati. They seem to be stuck in the mud and excited about their campaign to pull Cincinnati backwards, while other cities are developing their regional infrastructure and attracting new residents, investments and businesses.

The article continues:

Along the rail line, mixed-use communities have sprouted, such as Stapleton, a $5 billion development on the site of the former Stapleton International Airport, which closed in 1995. Shops and restaurants in downtown Denver are lively long after the workday has ended, and neighborhoods like Central Platte Valley, just northwest of downtown, are still being developed.

“It’s been transformative,” said Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. He anticipates 50 transit-oriented developments to be built around FasTracks over the next decade.

The naysayers want you to believe that they are just breathing more democracy into the process. What they fail to understand is that developers (who will invest in the business that create jobs) and the federal and state government (who will contribute to any major rail initiative) have hundreds of locations to choose from. Why would they waste time and money working together to build rail, when after the agreement is made, they have to wait for a costly, divisive election to approve their plan? They won't. They will go elsewhere, and it will cost Cincinnati jobs and investment.

As the article states:

The most successful projects do more than build housing near transit stations. They take pains to create livable neighborhoods, with parks, paths, retail stores and places for people to gather....This often requires collaboration between local governments and private developers. Local governments might invest in transit, parks and infrastructure, revise zoning laws and offer financial incentives in return for a developer taking the risk of building in an unproven area.

Both sides can benefit: city participation may help developers raise funds in a tight market, while the investment can both raise tax revenue for the city and attract employers and young professionals.

In 2002, the government of Columbus, Ohio, began a sweeping effort to remake its downtown. It raised $800 million in city, county, state and federal funds for infrastructure improvements. That helped attract $1.5 billion in private investment, mainly for housing and commercial development.

Lifestyle Communities, based in Columbus, is one of those developers. It is building a $25 million rental and condo project, the Annex at RiverSouth. Without the public investment in area roads and infrastructure, “it would have been difficult,” said Michael DeAscentis Jr., the company’s chief executive.

If we want Cincinnati to keep moving forward, we can't let the naysayers throw up roadblocks. We need to vote NO on the Anti-Progress Amendment.

posted by Cincinnatians For Progress at 9:52 AM

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Blog — Vote No on Issue 9

NYT: New Rail Lines Spur Urban Revival

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