Laserfiche WebLink
South Bend Redevelopment Commission <br />Rescheduled Regular Meeting -June 25, 2008 <br />6. NEW BUSINESS (CONT.) <br />A. Public Hearing <br />(1) continued... <br />Finally, there's another cost, one that may be <br />the most significant. The cost to <br />development in the core of the City of South <br />Bend. And the cost of jobs to core city <br />residents. It will be difficult and costly for <br />any inner city residents to go to Portage <br />Prairie. Given the lack of public <br />transportation, next to impossible without a <br />car. What do we expect will happen to <br />development in the city's core when massive <br />resources are attracted out to Portage Prairie? <br />It's not reasonable to subsidize development <br />in fringe areas of the city and expect that we <br />still have a level playing field in which core <br />city development is not affected. While <br />some will say that you can't fight the market, <br />people just want to go to Portage Prairie, that <br />may be, but it's not the market here that <br />we're talking about. It's amulti-million <br />dollar public subsidy that will make Portage <br />Prairie even possible. What would happen to <br />the west side of South Bend if we poured <br />$30M into its development? If we want to <br />create jobs, what's wrong with creating them <br />in places where people are now living? Let's <br />be clear. This is not an argument against <br />growth and development, but an argument <br />about the priorities for public subsidy. We <br />can't lose sight of the purpose of economic <br />development, to raise living standards and <br />opportunities for all, including the jobless, <br />the poor, and those who have been left <br />behind. That purpose is as important in <br />deciding about Portage Prairie as it is in all <br />decisions about economic development. <br />16 <br />