So there is a huge controversy brewing over riverfront development. And it has nothing to do with Pittsburgh.
Check out this story from my hometown newspaper.
All the points of contention are the same as the ones facing Pittsburgh. It's a struggling industrial area now home to a group of folks committed to the notion that tourism is the best route to economic salvation. Now they want to go after a government grant to do a study on riverfront development. A grant the locals would have to match. The story has the details of a council meeting that appears to have gotten nasty:
Tony Piccirillo cited concerns the study may interfere with or divert funding from flood control projects, and Dussia shared an item in an unsigned piece of correspondence, titled “Wild about the Wilds,” he said he found offensive, which read “In 1997, Ridgway was completely clueless how to help themselves.”
The item went on, “And ten years later, they believe there is nothing they can't accomplish by working together.”
Lauricella said she agreed with the sentiment of the item.
Dussia also noted that the scope of the study would include contemplation of redeveloping borough property along the river as a point of public access or park space, which he said would nullify they borough's investment into buildings used by work crews.
Lauricella responded to the concerns, both voiced in the meeting and criticisms she inferred she has heard outside in recent weeks, by saying the study would have no impact on flood control projects, and that she no longer owns property referred to as the “Lauricella property” in previous study documents, which she said is owned by her ex-husband.
What makes this even more interesting is that the local bigwig sawmill owner recently announced his intention to snap up a huge property right along the the Clarion River. It is adjacent to his mill. But also home to a huge factory that used to make brakes until it closed a few years back. I worked there one summer and made an astronomical amount of money.
So is he expanding the mill? Doing something else with the factory? Knocking it down to do something with the riverfront development?
Hmmmm...
At any rate, there appears to be a lot of intrigue here. Doesn't that always seem to be the case when publicly subsidized development is in the offing? Now why might that be?
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