Senator’s view: 425 West project will be an economic asset for city, state
September 19, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
On Friday, Sept. 14, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, or DEED, announced the city of Duluth would receive $8.5 million in a competitive business development grant to go toward the public’s contribution to build the new “425 West” corporate tower project.
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No surprise they didn’t tell the State who the tenant would be, then they would have had to tell the whole truth. Project moved an existing company down the street, no new business development. More vacant buildings. Just think what legislators from other cities with worthwhile projects now think of Duluth.
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That’s a lot of false info for such a short post:
1. The name of the anchor tenant (maurices) was shared with the state in the grant application, that is how the DNT was able to spoil the surprise and scoop the story last week.
2. Maurices intends to create a minimum 100 new jobs in Duluth – jobs it didn’t have room for in its current space. And it’s not just about new job creation – without a new space, all Maurices jobs could be moved out of Duluth.
3. I think it’s safe to say that legislators from any other city in the upper midwest would love to have an $80 million, 15-story develoment land in their downtown. What are they thinking right now? They probably wish their cities could be more like Duluth.
Sid, you really shouldn’t write about things you know so little about.
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So the name was just kept from Duluth taxpayers.
Legislators will not be inclined to give money for a city begging all the time.
Perfect, jobs “could” be moved. If you are so in the know, were they threatening to do so? Oer just an excuse to give money away to private business.
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Give money to a private business? The grant money is for a public parking ramp that any tax payer can use, not a private club for wall street fat cats. Have you ever tried parking at City Hall?
I’m so “in the know” because I read. Nothing is “kept from taxpayers,” assuming you aren’t too lazy to ask. We live in a society where any tax payer has the right to request and receive a copy of the grant applications, the emails sent to and from the state the agencies, and any other information that is deemed public under the open information act.
But you didn’t need to read all that to know Maurices will retain and grow its workforce here because of this project – the company’s executive, a life-long Duluthian, has said so in several articles.
You live in a comic book world where you feel you need to don your cape and fight to protect the humble taxpayer against…what? Against companies that want to invest millions in the taxpayers’ downtown? Against a mayor who wants to create jobs for taxpayers and improve the city he grew up in? Against ourselves?
This is one taxpayer who doesn’t need any help from you, Sid. I am glad the city and state are investing our tax money in a project that promises a solid return and several new, good jobs in my community. Government isn’t all bad.
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Oh, and by the way, Duluth did not “beg” for the money it received. It was a competitive bid process (also public information) where we competed against countless other communities across the state. Both the Dems and Repubs agreed on this process and both voted to pass the bonding bill. Duluth competing and won fair and square. I thought competition was a good thing…?
Sid, what is your idea of a positive story for Duluth? Give me an example headline of a story that would be good news in your eyes, if winning a grant and an $80 million project is not.
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Arrogance, bullying answer with a nice dash of superiority. How about money for crumbling sewer and water, terrible roads, attracting new jobs for the working poor. People can sleep at night knowing theres people like you to justify taking care of the business class. Big new parking hub going in short distance away-walk. Say, hows that Norshore going, theres more money well spent.
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