RM 03-17-78 - Laserfiche WebLink

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COMMISSI Friday, I ER'S REGULAR MEETING rch 17, 1978 FLOOR DISCUSSIONS (Mr. Brademas continues): At the same time, in terms of the housing, the ratio that we are required to provide for the housing of the elderly is a quarter to one; so we would only be talking about 25 or 26 parking spaces, because we are talking about 104 apartments, the exact same number that we have built at the 100 Center. I cap tell you that since the 100 Center has been completed, we already have a waiting list. So if any of the members of the Commission, or others who eel that we are getting overbuilt with housing for the elderly, I can tell you that from my own studies and observations, that I think we can, in the foreseeable future, absorb all 1,600 units in demand. The rate of inflation in this country is going to continue to advance, and I am afraid at a very rapid rate. The people who are most adversely affected, clearly are those people who are elderly, and on generally fixed incomes. One of the most critical means they have is housing, and yet the rents on this housing would be $340.00 a month. I would hardly say that it is for low income, but the federal government has programmed to provide assistance of the difference. Henceforth, this three million dollar project would be on the tax rolls, and it would be privately owned, privately managed, and it would make a fine contribution to the community. Now I don't stand here today and tell you that I speak for Mrs. Berg and Mrs. Hawley, or for anyone else who is in that area; but I have had a chance to meet with them and with others. I can tell you that they have impressed me with the sincerity of their concern about staying in business in the downtown. They are not out to attempt to stop the commission's progress as such. What they have indicated tom is that if the Commission would do nothing more than take the steps that they have already taken to acquire this property, write down the price that this development could carry forward, and make the land available for any eveloper; then they would be ready, willing, and able to go forward. Obviously, we understand that there could be any developer who could make a pr posal on the Century Mall. We are not here to suggest that the Commission does anything out of character, or is not consistent with what has already been done in the past; but as I have said before, these two pieces of property are already on the Commission's acquisition list. At the same time I am confident that if the Commission would move forward in this manner, and the administration would use their good offices to secure a reservation of funds for the construction of the housing, that these two activities would not require any grant of funds by the City or by the Federal Government. We are not asking the City to build any parking structures, or to build a covered pedestrian walkway; we are only asking the redevelopment commission and the City administration to take actions, which will have little or no adverse effect on the dollars and cents of the City. -10-