The Southfield Stimulus Plan
This is a jungle, a monument built by nature honoring disuse, commemorating a few years of nature being left to its own devices. But it's another kind of jungle, the kind that comes in the aftermath of man's battles against himself. Hardly an important battle, not a Gettysburg or a Marne or an Iwo Jima. More like one insignificant corner patch in the crazy quilt of combat. But it was enough to end the existence of this little city. It's been five years since a human being walked these streets. This is the first day of the sixth year, as man used to measure time. The time? Perhaps a hundred years from now. Or sooner. Or perhaps it's already happened two million years ago. The place? The signposts are in English so that we may read them more easily, but the place is the Twilight Zone. –Rod Serling
Have you heard the term “shovel ready”? Shovel ready, is a fairly new phrase used in government regarding construction projects that need quick funding. The idea is, if a proposed project is shovel ready, then the government can provide the necessary funds to get the actual construction started, thus creating jobs and revenue immediately. That means construction plans must be drawn, environmental permits obtained, local approvals and money in hand, and construction ready to start.
It was recently reported that LNR Properties, the Base developer, was planning to scale back the Southfield project because they are not being paid by the base overseer, Tri-Town Development Corp. Tri-Town’s purpose is to secure financing for the project and oversee the construction with the ultimate goal of “maximizing the fiscal benefits” to the three towns connected to the Base redevelopment.
So how does all this tie together, you ask? Well, first of all, the Obama Stimulus Plan, has opened the door for funding of shovel ready projects. The entire point of the Obama Plan is to stop the downward spiraling economy by creating jobs as quickly as possible. If the Air Base development isn’t defined this way then what is? So why isn’t Tri-Town attempting to acquire funding from that angle? Who can blame LNR for not moving forward if they are not being paid?
The truth of the matter is that LNR has gone ahead with plans to build a residential community. They have already built the road and installed utilities. Unfortunately, the Obama Plan is to bail out existing homeowners and businesses. No one is going to fund construction of new homes when people can’t afford their old homes. About a mile away, just across route 18 on Pond Street, the Town Of Weymouth just received funding for affordable housing. The neighbors had delayed the project for a couple of years because it's a lousy location. So why not put this housing at the Base? Why? Because it doesn't coincide with Tri-Town's plan, that's why. Well maybe the plan needs to be changed. If that housing had been approved for the Base location it would have been completed by now at half the cost and there is a waiting list to get in. Also, President Obama has defined one of the major problems with the present economic situation is that people were allowed to acquire financing too easily in the past. That wouldn't have been a concern with affordable housing.
Now, Tri-Town, LNR and our local legislature will have to rethink the Base Plan so that they comply with the Obama framework for acquiring funding or they will go bankrupt. That means no residences and no golf courses. They will need to build businesses that will provide immediate jobs and revenue. They will also need to take advantage of Obama’s incentives for creating “green” jobs which means they will need to consider constructing that wind mill and figure a way to generate revenue from it. At this point it looks as if LNR will move forward with the residences which will not sell and Tri-Town will not secure additional financing anyway, paving the way for a complete failure of the Southfield project. Seeing this, the proposed Studio project will no doubt decide to wait on their plans as well.
POSTED BY STAN at April 10, 2009
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