"Good evening everybody, Mayor Johnson, Council
members, City staff.
Here’s some helpful background -- some context -- as to
why now is as good a time to update and implement the
Webster Street Strategic Plan of 2004. Remember that?
Way back in 2002, we merged two West End
redevelopment areas with a third redevelopment area
serving the downtown and northern waterfront areas.
For those who are unfamiliar with redevelopment areas, in
essence, these areas capture a portion of property taxes,
and the captured property taxes, in turn, are used for
specific purposes of beautifying areas.
Alameda has three redevelopment areas – WECIP, APIP,
and a third one with the acronym BWIP, which serves the
northern waterfront and Park Street areas.
At the time in 2002, the BWIP redevelopment area for Park
Street was not generating adequate revenues. As the
Council, we knew that there was not enough revenue in
BWIP for catalyst projects like the theater project.
members, City staff.
Here’s some helpful background -- some context -- as to
why now is as good a time to update and implement the
Webster Street Strategic Plan of 2004. Remember that?
Way back in 2002, we merged two West End
redevelopment areas with a third redevelopment area
serving the downtown and northern waterfront areas.
For those who are unfamiliar with redevelopment areas, in
essence, these areas capture a portion of property taxes,
and the captured property taxes, in turn, are used for
specific purposes of beautifying areas.
Alameda has three redevelopment areas – WECIP, APIP,
and a third one with the acronym BWIP, which serves the
northern waterfront and Park Street areas.
At the time in 2002, the BWIP redevelopment area for Park
Street was not generating adequate revenues. As the
Council, we knew that there was not enough revenue in
BWIP for catalyst projects like the theater project.
Webster Street Funding Park Street Revitalization
April 22, 2010
Here is my April 6 speech to the City Council in
which I remind the public that the West End made
the new theater and garage possible: the West
End sacrificed on behalf of Park Street because all
agreed that a revitalized downtown was for the
greater good. With that revitalization in place, I
now urge greater focus on Webster Street. What
sparked Council's recent interest in Webster was
my letter to the editor about yet another major
redevelopment project for the downtown. In
writing this, I captured the public mood as many
including Webster Street thanked me.
/s/ Tony Daysog
April 22, 2010
Here is my April 6 speech to the City Council in
which I remind the public that the West End made
the new theater and garage possible: the West
End sacrificed on behalf of Park Street because all
agreed that a revitalized downtown was for the
greater good. With that revitalization in place, I
now urge greater focus on Webster Street. What
sparked Council's recent interest in Webster was
my letter to the editor about yet another major
redevelopment project for the downtown. In
writing this, I captured the public mood as many
including Webster Street thanked me.
/s/ Tony Daysog
| ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
Merging the two West End redevelopment areas with Park
Street’s, we did so to provide the underlying revenue
stream that made possible the theater and garage
projects.
So, always keep in mind, it was the West End
redevelopment areas that made possible the downtown
projects that we see and love today.
Because of the West End redevelopment areas, Park
Street is doing extremely well, and with the civic core
project, it can become even better.
So let me end by saying this: go forward with the civic core
plan, but before implementing this plan, let’s put into
place either a new Webster Street strategic plan or update
elements of the Webster Street Strategic Plan of 2004.
That plan, I am sure, has been itching and raring to get
going.
We can plan both Park Street and Webster Street."
Street’s, we did so to provide the underlying revenue
stream that made possible the theater and garage
projects.
So, always keep in mind, it was the West End
redevelopment areas that made possible the downtown
projects that we see and love today.
Because of the West End redevelopment areas, Park
Street is doing extremely well, and with the civic core
project, it can become even better.
So let me end by saying this: go forward with the civic core
plan, but before implementing this plan, let’s put into
place either a new Webster Street strategic plan or update
elements of the Webster Street Strategic Plan of 2004.
That plan, I am sure, has been itching and raring to get
going.
We can plan both Park Street and Webster Street."