Friday, August 10, 2007

Spotlight on the URA

URA gives SouthSide Works developer 3 more years (Mark Belko, P-G)

What would be so awful about allowing the unruly masses to lease that vacant property they helped to finance? Competition is awesome, and a deal is a deal!

East Liberty's Bakery Square project will receive $10M (Sam Spatter, Trib)

Yet somehow, Concord Hospitality and its hotel project was frozen out. Cameo appearance by City Planning Commission member Todd Reidbord.

And don't you worry yourselves, Allegheny Institute -- this TIFF is totally gonna pay for itself!

The URA is also purchasing a $20,000 study from Point Park University on how to improve Downtown, and we have no problem with that. We are eagerly anticipating our newest university's scholarship!

Note: Technically, the URA didn't do any of this stuff yet -- City Council, and others in some cases, must first sign off on it. Look alive.

Pittsburgh agency might offer new business breaks (Bonnie Pfister, Trib; h/t MR)

This headline speaks for itself. But the story includes this morsel:

Releasing the parcels from TIF districts would make those properties available for tax abatements, the document states, and allow TIF status to be bestowed on other properties that are declared blighted.

Any particular "blighted" property they might be eyeing? Any ideas at all?

Finally: Don Kortlandt steps in as acting Executive Director. Jerome Dettore is off to write his book.

2 comments:

  1. I'm a little confused on the SouthSide Works item. Does that mean the URA still owns the land?

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  2. The Post Gazette reports" A $10 million tax-increment financing plan for the $113 million Bakery Square project at the old Nabisco plant in Larimer.

    The URA estimates the project will generate more than $2 million a year in property and parking tax revenue, with 60 percent of that diverted to pay off the TIF, or tax increment financing, which will be used for a parking garage and infrastructure improvements, including modifications to Penn Circle.

    The TIF plan still must be approved by the city, the county and the Pittsburgh school board."

    HOWEVER THE URA AND THE CITY PROVIDES DEVELOPMENT FUNDING TO ELDI AND NORTH POINT BREEZE CDC FOR THIS PROJECT BUT NOT TO THE COMMUNITY GROUPS IN LARIMER. WHY, BECAUSE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT GOING TO COME PAST THE BORDERS OF EAST LIBERTY-EAST SIDE WHATEVER THEY ARE CALLING IT NOW. THAT IS A SHAME. THE PEOPLE OF THE LARIMER COMMUNITY WILL NOT BENEFIT FROM THIS DEVELOPMENT IN ANY WAY. WHERE IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LOW INCOME NIEGHBORHOODS? LARIMER RESIDENTS WEREN'T EVEN CONSULTED WHEN THIS PROJECT WAS DEVELOPED. WHAT DISRESPECT AND WHERE IS THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF THE 12TH WARD ON THIS PROJECT. PAID OFF AS ALWAYS

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