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Don’t say city didn’t try [UPDATED]
Published 9:37am Wednesday, August 22, 2012 Updated 1:39pm Wednesday, August 22, 2012The council’s latest decision to approve a marketing plan for the Regional Treatment Center by brokerage firm Colliers International is a good one. The firm appears to be reliable and resourceful and may be the best chance the city’s seen in a long time to find a developer for the former state hospital complex.
Let’s be clear: no one wants the Kirkbride torn down. The Friends of the Kirkbride don’t, the city council doesn’t, and we don’t.
As long as redevelopment efforts don’t hurt the timeline for demolition if the city needs to go that route, the city can and should be making every effort to find a buyer, someone who can turn the site from a landmark into a destination.
The council has gotten a bad rap from a lot of people over their handling of the RTC, but that’s not really fair.
While critics can point to initial refusals to filmmaker requests and less than stellar marketing support in the past, the city has considered several offers for the building, from the Chinese school developers to the follow-up from Campus Development Group to others who have wanted to turn the building into a non-profit hub, a rehabilitation center and the heart of an ambitious multi-use enterprise.
For monetary, feasibility or other reasons, none of these ideas have worked out. Maybe Colliers will find an idea that will. But don’t say the council has demolition on the brain. Nobody does.
The council has earned its bad reputation. They have gone out of there way for the most part to keep investors out of the city. Mark has finally admitted that 2 local people have contacted him with intent, but there are others who he has blown out of the market. Its really to bad that the public was not allowed to make comments on his ability to do his job. Not that I am throwing all the rotten eggs in one basket, but after meetings some of the members have been rude and they blow off any comments or questions that are put to them. Sorry, not a lot of sympathy here…
It is well known how passionate you are about this cause; however, your passion has blinded you to the fact that the majority of the building is unusable. The problem is not simply to find someone to redevelop it but someone to take on the job of abating the asbestos, the bats, etc. which costs ALOT of money in itself. The City has worked many years trying to find a developer. More power to your group if you succeed but they won’t just be dropping out of the sky because you have a new marketer.