An overview of Ren Square's operating plan, coming out this week, will not include the cost to run the bus station. Photo by Matt DeTurck.
Ren Square supporters: another reason to worry and, perhaps, a reason to rejoice.
First, the good news: adopting a much softer tone than he has in recent months, Mayor Bob Duffy says landing state funds for the theater component of the project will be difficult, but not impossible. Previously, Duffy had all but ruled that out.
But that might not even be necessary. Duffy says recent meetings with County Executive Maggie Brooks have convinced him that a great deal of the theater money can be raised privately.
"I sense that she has a renewed sense of confidence in the theater option," he says. "I think she can raise a substantial amount of private money."
The theater is estimated to cost $55 million to build. Project plans call for $10 million to come from private donations and the rest from the state. But Duffy says that Brooks can raise "far in excess" of $10 million, which would mean less dependence on the state for money.
"I think that may be the route that she goes," he says. "I think she clearly has had a strong degree of interest."
Now, the not-so-good news: An overview of Ren Square's operating plan should come out this week. What's remarkable is what the plan leaves out. Project spokesman Mike Power says it will not include expenses or revenues for the bus terminal or MCC. And it won't say who will own or run the theater.
The plan seems to contain very little new material and is mostly a rehash of old information.
Comments for "REN SQUARE: Duffy: Maggie can get theater money" (1)
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a stainton said on Sep. 17, 2008 at 4:46pm
Does anyone at City newspaper live without a car? Your car-centrism is showing and the community is suffering for it.
Example: Every map for the Corn Hill festival you have done has left off the bike trail which connects to Corn Hill and is well within map area covered. Anyone choosing to reach the festival this way would enjoy a scenic, low cost tranportation means that avoids all traffic and parking issues (not to mention increases health and decreases greenhouse gases).... but year after year it is left off. I have to assume this is because you all ride most places in cars and mostly see the world through the limited rectangular frame of a windsheild.
This is not a big tragedy when it comes to increasing bike ridership to the festivals.... it is tragic however when your paper still has yet to write its FIRST article focusing on the truly awful impacts of the Ren Square bus station. Its a wasted $100 million investment in badly needed transit that will make the system far slower, prone to tie-ups and leave downtown smothered under a traffic pattern that simply does not work. Of course, this is at least the 10th or 15th time I have pointed this out. Try getting a traffic plan.... try asking the architects how it will work (their differing answers are almost laughable).
We are one bad storm away from $5/gallon gas AND YOU ARE STILL PERSEVERATING ABOUT THE THEATER!!!
To assume that the "traffic professionals" have worked this out is naive at best. Remember when Ballerstein told you in summer "07 that "fundraising had started". It had not.
Remember when project promoters were claiming a start date of fall 07, and then spring 08, EVEN THOUGH THE TRUTH WAS THAT ALL CONTRACTS HAD EXPIRED?
To take them at their word NOW, after so much deception, seems to go against the mission of the paper, and is putting our community at great jeopardy.
Please ask an independent transportation professional what this project will REALLY do to our downtown (free theater or not) before we put the final nail in downtown's coffin. Please, before it is too late.
Would begging help??? (I will deliver all papers for a month for free if youj would JUST DO A STORY ON THE REAL IMPACTS OF REN SQUARE ON OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM. It's been 5 years in the waiting but its still not too late!!
www.fixrensquare.org
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