| Author
|
Post |
 
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Posted on Face book to encourage citizens to oppose the move.:
This Saturday, we're asking everyone who wants to keep the Flint Farmers' Market in its current location to come shopping to show your support for keeping the Flint Farmers’ Market on the river. Nothing says, “I support my vendors” like buying a few bags full of goodies! We'll have "I Heart My Market on the River" stickers available for you to wear while you shop. Bring your friends!
There are also posts from groups vowing to never go to the new location.
The only problem is the City of Flint, when they arranged the lease to the Chamber of Commerce, gave the chamber exclusive rights to the Farmer's Market. There can be no other Farmers Market in Flint.
Tim Herman and his group, which may include the Flint Journal, have been planning this maneuver since about 2002. So while the Flint Journal enjoyed tax breaks for jobs which never materialized, the Farmers Market will be moved to one of their previous buildings. More millions of dollars will be spent downtown to renovate this building, despite the issue of parking and citizen dislike of the site.
It is a matter of the administration giving us no other choice. |
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:41 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The recent issue of the Broadside caught my eye with it's cover showing a blown up Certificate of Assumed name with the assumed name being Flint Farmer's Market; the Corporation name being Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, Inc.; and the agent being Timothy W. Herman.
The article entitled "The Demise of the City Owned Flint Farmers" Market" is unsigned but the cover is by Lara. The article stated Herman gave the move a hard sell but filed to propose alternatives to the move or any plans for the current site.
"Presumably, the CEO of Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, one of the founding partners of Uptown (real estate) Developments, the incorporator, resident agent, and director of th Foundation for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, and the guy who signed the document that enable Uptown Reinvestment Corporation to " transact business under the assumed name of Flint Farmers Market", Tim Herman will figure that out for us ,too."
There is a petition drive to keep the Farmer's Market at it's present location. The organizers of the petition also commissioned a poll by the East Lansing Firm, Practical Political Consulting. The results were somewhat of a draw with 50.5 % of those polled opposed to the move and 49.5 % were supportive of the move. The author expressed the position that "there remain real questions about the viability, the decency, and even the legality of this alleged public/private." |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:09 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The article goes on to state vendors were not notified of the move until after the move was announced. The writer states a document was sent the day prior to the move announcement and it contained a warning. ""That document warned vendors 'it certainly will not help if anyone shows up at one of the public sessions tomorrow to challenge the move'." The article further alleges that no vocal input was allowed during the open house and that vendors saw the proposed plans for the first time then.
The author writes that Dick Ramsdell. Market Manager, met with the College and Cultural Neighborhood Association and confirmed the public was never questioned if they wanted the move because "it would have been disingenuous to ask the public's opinion when the plan was to move it anyway'.
Ramsdell also stated he hired the project manager Ridgeway White's wife, Shannon White, as the architect of the new market.
Notes:
Shannon White was paid to be the original architect for the homes in Smith Village under the first developer contract with Metro Housing.
Dick Ramsdell is one of the leaders in the Master Planning process. |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:24 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The author appears to have a relationship with the vendors as they state three vendors have decided to "retire" if the move takes place and others may "retire if they are forced to sign two-year leases on a site for which they have seen no feasibility study".
The article is critical of the role of the Emergency Financial Manager and his associates in this forced move. "To treat vendors, as if they were some Michigan municipality in receivership-that is, to utterly shut them out of decisions that impact their lives-is shameful but not surprising. Arguing that local democracy must be eliminated to preserve payouts to bondholders is not much different than the logic of excluding farmers from decisions about their businesses. Only instead of far-off bondholders' entitlement to a return-on-investment, it's local real-estate developers' entitlement to reconfigure other people's lives in the names of "accidental traffic" and "synergy" to benefit their investments." |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:37 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
If true, the most scandalous parts of the article is the allegations that vendors who will make the move are afraid despite opposing it, are afraid that speaking out will jeopardize that the promised financial support for making the move should they avail themselves of their first amendment rights. "We've also heard that area workers who oppose the move are afraid to speak ot for fear that some Mott Foundation program officer in charge of the rants that fund their employment will tattle to their bosses about their activism. Many feel they need to chose between shutting their mouths and losing their jobs. After all, nothing says "revitalization" like imposing conformity and obedience with threats of destitution".
If the current location is not complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), then why wasn't this issue dealt with before this. How compliant with the ADA is the new location when most must park blocks from the site.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:46 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Remember when the Land bank and other touted the new $100,000 and up lofts in downtown Flint. Mostly, they never happened and the expensive Berridge Hotel and TinnLinn renovation into lofts ended up as rentals and Court Street Village, a partner in the renovation, received a HUD violation because they could not sell them. The Land Bank, promoting itself as a developer, is now advertising these rentals on their web sites.
Is this venture the Mott Foundation's new Auto World? |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:52 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
I find this portion of the article to be disturbing:
"We've also heard fearful, frequently racist, remarks about downtown Flint from people who don't feel safe in the newly designated "downtown" area. We hear people are not only afraid that a homeless person would ask them for some change, but that some people feel unwelcome among the "target demographic" that is attracted to Irish pubs and American-style tapas. Is a homeless person asking for help really more unsettling than the single minded march to satisfy upper middle class standards for progress."
I am not sure that I completely agree with this statement. The large crowds that come downtown for specific events seem to contradict this argument. |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:03 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
I remember the 2009 announcements that heralded the move of the Red Ink Studios into the former Royalite Electric building on Burton Street across from the Farmers Market. This artists workplace and gallery was supported by grants from the CS Mott foundation. Because the Red Ink group lacked the non profit status, their grant funds were channeled through a fiduciary, the Genesee Area Focus Council, an arm of the Genesee regional Chamber of Commerce.
Broadside alludes to similar arguments made about the move of the Farmers market being used to validate the move of the Red Ink from their Burton Street location into the Capitol Theatre, owned by Uptown Development partner Troy Farah. After the move Red Ink failed and their funding went to Joel Rash for the renovation of the local 432. The old Red Ink location went to habitat for Humanity.
Many noticed that the day of the announcement by Uptown to move the market also coincided with the largest gathering for community input on the Master Plan. Other meetings have been scheduled at the same time forcing residents to decide which was most important to them. Citizens have repeatedly stated they want investments made city-wide and not only downtown. |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:19 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
I remember when Metro housing and the Mott Foundation held a large event downtown to encourage a new master plan and the highlight was leaders from Richmond in Bloom. The discussion focused on the redevelopment efforts of Richmond by focusing all of the development dollars on a few selected areas.
Unlike Flint these areas were placed in diverse sections of the city. The rewards came when areas surrounding the development areas also began to improve.
Flint is focusing on downtown while the areas around downtown are declining and I am told the East Village area has reached a "tipping point" where it may further decline. |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:28 am |
|
|
Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
|
| While I realize that this may cause the sky to fall, GOOD JOB! |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
|
|
Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:50 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The East Village Magazine is a valuable source of news about what is happening in the college cultural area and in city government. If you cn't locate a copy they are online.
WEBSITE: eastvillagemagazine.org
Their April edition featured a brief story on Farmer's market written by intern Jason Burton. Dick Ramsdell, the manager of the Flint Farmer's market, met with the College Cultural Neighborhood Association on March 21st to discuss moving the market.
The Uptown Reinvestment Corporation (URC) is planning on investing $33 million into the former Flint Journal buildings and plans to move the market into the former printing building. They plan on opening in April of 2014.
The rate the vendors pay will remain the same for two years and they will qualify for financial assistance to move and construct their spaces.
Ramsdell told the group the existing market would require $4 million in upgrades for repairs and code issues. He told the group the current building is not handicap accessible and is too far from local residents and the nearby neighborhoods. |
|
|
|
Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:48 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The East Village Magazine also carried three opinion articles. I like the style of intern Connor Coyne. He seems to ask the same questions I hear in the community.
"What have we to go on other than your assurance that all is well? Why should we trust you when so many redevelopment projects have failed in the past?
Windmill Place? Water Street Pavilion? Saginaw Street as a pedestrian thoroughfare? Auto World?
Why should we trust your motives to serve the Flint public when you and your sponsors are the beneficiaries of major tax abatements and the owners of city assets? How did you manage to purchase for one dollar that for which the rest of us paid $10 million a few short year ago? What's up with that?"
Coyne goes on to criticize the URC for their lack of transparency and asks when their "trickle out" theory of revitalization is going to kick in.
A strong and well written piece that everyone should read. |
|
|
|
Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:59 pm |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Political Talk
