North end could be "choice area", Andrews North End Plan discussion |
North end could be "choice area", Andrews North End Plan discussion |
Jan 17 2008, 08:07 AM
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Spends WAY too much time at CBTL Group: Admin Posts: 16,460 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Michigan City, IN Member No.: 2 |
http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=32796.78
QUOTE Oberlie: North End Can Be 'Choice' Area Jason Miller The News-Dispatch MICHIGAN CITY - In his annual state-of-the-city address last week, Mayor Chuck Oberlie outlined his fast-track plans for the city's North End in hopes that after the first quarter of 2008, the engine of change will be humming. Saying the area isn't pedestrian friendly or visually pleasing, he hopes the results of three studies laying out possibilities for the North End turn the area - through a unified vision - into the city's "neighborhood of choice." "The beauty of it all is that I outlined 21 different projects, and all of them will be moving forward as of (Thursday)," he said. "And they can all move forward without hurting the others." Oberlie also released a small portfolio featuring a few ideas for North End redevelopment gleaned from three studies the city has commissioned in the last two years. The most visually striking of the ideas is a large residential and commercial area along Trail Creek which, in theory, would include three large high-rise buildings just across the creek from Blue Chip Casino. Oberlie's thoughts are that developing the Trail Creek Corridor from Eighth Street to Washington Park would turn the city's North End into the crown jewel of the city. His hopes aren't without precedent. Although its size pales in comparison to that of Michigan City, the town of Saugatuck, Mich., benefits greatly from a developed Kalamazoo River, which houses not only hundreds of private boat slips, but residences, shops and restaurants like those Oberlie envisions for Trail Creek. "Our boating industry is a huge element of our success, if not the lifeblood of our town," second-term Saugatuck Mayor Tony Vettori said Friday. "And it's all due to the fact that there's so much to do right along the river. It brings in boaters and non-boaters." Like Michigan City, Saugatuck features a river that leads to a large, heavily used beach and the waters of Lake Michigan. Vettori said the beach benefits from the downtown river scene, just as the downtown benefits from the beach and Lake Michigan. "We've become an art destination and a shopping destination. And Oval Beach is rated one of the top 10 beaches in the country," Vettori said. "The water is all a part of what draws people here, and I'd think it would have the same effect in Michigan City." |
Jan 17 2008, 10:23 PM
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Really Comfortable Group: Members Posts: 627 Joined: 9-February 07 Member No.: 41 |
Has anyone in Michigan City wondered why the State of the City address happened in the first week of January? Right smack on top of the sanitary district hiring debacle, instead of the usual second or third week in February. Has anyone looked at the fact it calls for putting all our eggs in a plan that calls for housing lots of housing, upscale housing. Sorry neighbors, but we have got to get our heads out of the clouds. This plan, this concept new urban renewal, huge investment in the housing market is about ten years to late. Oberlie at this for over 35 years, starting in the planning dept. has not got a clue. He head is not in the clouds it is up his..... well, you know what I mean. I work for a family business, part of our business involves building and selling upscale housing. The last one we did sold for 2.2 million dollars, we sold it in December of 2006. We have not even bothered looking at another parcel of property since. Why? Because the housing market is in the dumps. The sub prime lending has not even fully hit us yet and the banks are not very free at lending money right now. What we will end up with is a north end that looks like Roger Willoughbys Michigan Boulevard gas station development.
If you go back to Mr. Oberlies last State of the City address you will find a call to work at ridding Michigan City of the neglected and abandoned properties in our neighborhoods. He said we must find ways to attract people back into our neighborhoods. What did Oberlie lay as the foundation to accomplish this? We started the year off issuing building permits to a very controversial housing complex at the questionable outskirts of town in a cornfield. Next change the zoning in a residential neighborhood to commercial and issue building permits to erect a gas station in a residential neighborhood, across the street from a park. (judge saw it as wrong and overturned it thank God) We ended the year allowing a car crushing junk yard the permit to operate a couple of hundred feet away from an area he claims he is trying to attract family's to live. The inspection Dept. has no teeth to go after the property owners to keep up their property, we do nothing to change a system. A system we know does not work. I have one of these boarded up houses right out my front door. It has been this way since Chuck has been in charge. As long as Michigan City continues doing the same thing, the same way it will be there till he is gone. So Michigan City be warned, this North End plan on the Oberlie fast track may just run us all over. WASHINGTON (AP) - United for urgent action, the White House and Congress raced toward emergency steps Thursday to rescue the national economy from a possible recession, including tax rebates of at least $300 a person - and maybe as much as $800. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke endorsed the idea of putting money into the hands of those who would spend it quickly and boost the flagging economy. All the talk of rescue efforts failed to soothe Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrials plunged 306.95 points, underscoring deepening concern about the country's economic health. The sudden scramble to take action came as fears mounted that a severe housing slump and a painful credit crisis could cause people to clamp down on their spending and businesses to put a lid on hiring, throwing the country into its first recession since 2001. |
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