The Observation Deck

IT'S CONTEST TIME!!!!

Win a $30 Sullivan's gift certificate!!

Assumptions:

1. The City enacts an increase in the income tax rate of .75%. The total rate will increase from 1.5% to 2.25%.

2. The tax will take effect on 1/1/07 and expire on 12/31/07.

3. The tax cannot be used for debt retirement or general operating expenses.

4. The amount raised will be eight million dollars.

Then:

Come up with one big idea on how to invest the money in Lakewood that would generate new: business, residents, income etc.

Any idea will have to be doable for eight million dollars.

For example:

I would use the eight million to relocate the Post Office from Warren to 117th Street. The property on Warren would be used for residential development.

I think moving the post office to W117th would encourage people to shop East instead of West. The traffic generated by the new post office location would encourage new business and help existing business.

Lakewood will benefit economically if people acquire the habit of shopping East instead of West.

Since it is my $30 I am the one who decides what the rules are and who wins the prize.

This contest has been cancelled do to lack of interest.

Bill Call wrote:This contest has been cancelled do to lack of interest.

Bill

Might be too easy, liking shoot fish in a barrel.(has anyone ever done this to make sure it is easy?)

How about you and I at Sullivan's over dinner and I will give you ten, and flip a quarter for the bill.


Jim

I don't know that it was too easy but more time consuming. I have ideas on how to spend money but I am bad with actual figures when they leave the hundreds! I have no idea what $8 million would buy any more. My brain froze when I heard the Ryser condos were asking up to $450,000.

Also, what falls under General Operating expenses that are SUPPOSED to be done but might not be? For example, take the park situation. People are complaining about some tough customers plying their trade in the local parks making it tough for families with their young ones to spend time there. One would think that would fall under G.O. costs but since it isn't being done with current dollars I would say spend some money on park security and upkeep.

Or another example would be can we spend money on things that may be done in the future? I know I have read a bit about more work being done to Lakewood Park but what about adding to that? Like Ms. Farris' idea ot make the parking lot area something useable as an open-air market would be cool. Does it cost $8 million to build this? God only knows. Probably not.

So what does it buy? 16 Condos on Detroit with a view of the Phantasy?

For my money, I would spend it on bumping up the quality and spectacle of some current city activities. As an example, I find the Lakewood Arts Festival to be not much more than an open air market 1 day per year. The wares there, though nice, are not local (many of the vendors are from points varied across the state and beyond) and aren't much different than any flea market or existing specialty shop in Lakewood. So I would want to see more varied a program that makes it more of a destination for out of towners. iNGENUiTY Fest, Parade the Circle and other such programs should be the high water mark and maybe a bit more spent on musical and theatrical acts, interactive programs for kids of all ages, etc. Heck, at the last Arts Festival I went to groups were recruiting singers and musicians for local choirs and orchestras, which is great...but why weren't they performing!! What a better way to get people excited about arts than to actually have something to show beyond a brochure.

How much would $8 million do towards this? Maybe find a way to get all the storefronts more involved in more creative ways than simply being open during the festival. Again, iNGENUiTy did this with some spaces that hosted arts and events throughout the week.

Like Jim said, ideas are easy. For me, money is hard.


Phil