An $18 million Pile of Bricks

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, I listened to Flood Recovery Director Greg Eyerly's presentation on millions of bucks the city will get from FEMA to cover the replacement publicly owned facilities that won't be replaced.

You win some and lose some in the big disaster recovery game. And when it comes to the site of the old Sinclair meatpacking plant, the city is a big winner.

It's likely FEMA will pay the city $18.9 million for Sinclair, and that's on top of what the government is paying to demolish the flooded, burned, and burned some more, plant, which is a safety hazard. That's how much it would cost, according to the government, to replace the flooded plant.

Obviously, nobody wants to build a new, old meatpacking plant. But the city still gets the money, which it can use for one or more "alternative projects."

The city paid $2 million for the plant site before I arrived in town. I often heard folks complain about what they saw as a big city boondoggle. Now, thanks to very bad luck (a flood) and what council members called "dumb luck" Tuesday, it's worth nine times that much.

I guess you take silver linings when you can. Eyerly, etc. deserve credit for pulling the right levers. Pleasant surprises from federal bureaucracies during this arduous recovery have been rare.

Still, am I wrong to feel a little guilty about all this? Is my community spirit lacking?

After all, American taxpayers will be providing $18 million for an eyesore that hasn't been operational in years. If spending hawks get a hold of it, we may be hearing about the "Smokestack to Nowhere." 

At the very least, we have an obligation to make sure the money is spent on something worthwhile.

Mayor Corbett suggested using it as a local match for the events center project. Perhaps some of it could go to improve the historic New Bohemia/ Czech Village  neighborhood that leads to the plant site and was, historically, the home of its workers. The council wants to decide how to spend this pot and other FEMA bucks by the end of June.

City staff also submitted a list of ideas for alternative projects. Here they are, from Eyerly's presentation:

• Jacolyn Park Detention Basin NW

• More efficient buses

• Multi-Generational Community Center

• Parks and Recreation - increase the square footage of the new Time Check Center

• Parks and Recreation -large rental and program facility

• Public Works Building Sustainable upgrades and functional improvements

• Raise Ellis/Edgewood intersection

• Realign east end of F Ave NW to connect to A Ave NW

• Relocate Forestry building functions to Public Works Site

• Repair Coe Road NE Retaining Wall

• Repair flood damaged sidewalks

• Solid Waste Building Sustainable upgrades and functional improvements

• Streetscape improvement to 5th Street SE

• Bus Garage Sustainable upgrades and functional improvements

• Bus shelters

• Communicate and implement roadway maintenance

• Community Resource Centers

• Conduct one-way to two-way street conversion study (2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Avenues; 7th & 8th Street)

• Connection of 6th St and Ellis

• Create a comprehensive transportation plan

• Enhance Skywalk

• Extend 14th Ave SE to St. Wenceslaus

• Extend 2nd Street SE from 14th Ave SE to Otis Road

• Extend CEMAR Trail from Cedar Lake Loop to 29th St NE

• Extend/build more trails

• Fire - replacing fire station for Station #3, at 1424 B Avenue NE

• Streetscape Improvements on 10th St from A Avenue NE to 8th Avenue SE

• Streetscape Improvements on 3rd Street SE (Quality Chef area

• Streetscape Improvements to 14th Avenue SE

• Streetscape improvements to 1st Street SE

• Streetscape improvements to 1st Street SW

• Streetscape Improvements to 6th Street SW

• Streetscape Improvements to 8th Avenue SE

• Streetscape Improvements to C Street SW

• Streetscape Improvements to Ellis Boulevard

• Streetscape Improvements to 12th Avenue SE and SW

• Streetscape Improvements to 1st Avenue

• Streetscape Improvements to 2nd Avenue SE

• Streetscape Improvements to 2nd Avenue SW

• Streetscape Improvements to 2nd Street SE

• Streetscape Improvements to 3rd Avenue SE

• Streetscape Improvements to 3rd Avenue SW

• Streetscape Improvements to 3rd Street SE

• Streetscape Improvements to 5th Avenue SW

• Streetscape Improvements to Diagonal Drive SW

• Streetscape Improvements to F Avenue NW

• Streetscape Improvements to I Avenue NW

• Streetscape Improvements to K Avenue NW

• Streetscape Improvements to O Avenue NW

• Vinton Ditch Improvements from 15th Street NW to Edgewood Road NW

Weigh in with your own gripes/ideas. Don't cost nothin'.

Here's Eyerly's whole power point, for those of you with lives who don't get to meetings.

05-04-10 Alternate Projects (2)