Comments on: Will they buy the Brooklyn Bridge next? http://monoblogue.us/2010/02/02/will-they-buy-the-brooklyn-bridge-next/ I've presented news and views from Maryland's Eastern Shore since 2005, but my writing can be found at several conservative websites. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:25:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Twirling Towards Freedom http://monoblogue.us/2010/02/02/will-they-buy-the-brooklyn-bridge-next/comment-page-1/#comment-106780 Twirling Towards Freedom Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:05:45 +0000 http://monoblogue.us/?p=6930#comment-106780 I'm glad the Stadium + motel/restaurants isn't next to the Civic Center, because I might be out of a home! :O I’m glad the Stadium + motel/restaurants isn’t next to the Civic Center, because I might be out of a home! :O

]]> By: Michael http://monoblogue.us/2010/02/02/will-they-buy-the-brooklyn-bridge-next/comment-page-1/#comment-106765 Michael Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:29:34 +0000 http://monoblogue.us/?p=6930#comment-106765 Considering the former Salisbury Mall was still viable (or at least hanging on) at the time, the site wouldn't have been available for the stadium. In my opinion (since I don't know the timeline of the U.S. 13 bypass) the old Mall was too far out of the way of traffic to succeed long-term. The first time I came to Salisbury and drove around to familiarize myself with the city I saw the Mall (which unbeknownst to me was down to its final tenant) and wondered why there was no one there on a weeknight. But I also thought it was a funny spot for a shopping center since it wasn't on a main arterial highway. Placing the Centre of Salisbury on U.S. 13 made a lot more sense for a regional attraction. As for the Civic Center making money, apparently the smallest annual subsidy it has received was $90,000 and the average is something like $270,000 annually. Considering the former Salisbury Mall was still viable (or at least hanging on) at the time, the site wouldn’t have been available for the stadium.

In my opinion (since I don’t know the timeline of the U.S. 13 bypass) the old Mall was too far out of the way of traffic to succeed long-term. The first time I came to Salisbury and drove around to familiarize myself with the city I saw the Mall (which unbeknownst to me was down to its final tenant) and wondered why there was no one there on a weeknight. But I also thought it was a funny spot for a shopping center since it wasn’t on a main arterial highway. Placing the Centre of Salisbury on U.S. 13 made a lot more sense for a regional attraction.

As for the Civic Center making money, apparently the smallest annual subsidy it has received was $90,000 and the average is something like $270,000 annually.

]]> By: swampcritter2 http://monoblogue.us/2010/02/02/will-they-buy-the-brooklyn-bridge-next/comment-page-1/#comment-106764 swampcritter2 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:20:03 +0000 http://monoblogue.us/?p=6930#comment-106764 The Stadium and the team would never have become a reality had Frank Perdue not wanted a right of way for his grain ops. If Salisbury had prescient thought at the time and had wanted a stadium , the better place to have built it would have been at the Old Mall site. There would have been plenty of parking and the architecture could have matched the existing Civic Center. The city could have showcased both in one package and there would have been room for a matching motel and restaurants as well. Tell me this wouldn't have been a draw. Locating the Civic Center next to the Stadium presents the problem of matching the Gad-awful masonry of the Stadium to Civic Center. The Stadium is OK, but I have worked in construction for many years, and can tell you it was built on the cheap. Does the Civic center even make money? The Stadium and the team would never have become a reality had Frank Perdue not wanted a right of way for his grain ops. If Salisbury had prescient thought at the time and had wanted a stadium , the better place to have built it would have been at the Old Mall site. There would have been plenty of parking and the architecture could have matched the existing Civic Center. The city could have showcased both in one package and there would have been room for a matching motel and restaurants as well. Tell me this wouldn’t have been a draw.
Locating the Civic Center next to the Stadium presents the problem of matching the Gad-awful masonry of the Stadium to Civic Center. The Stadium is OK, but I have worked in construction for many years, and can tell you it was built on the cheap.
Does the Civic center even make money?

]]> By: Twirling Towards Freedom http://monoblogue.us/2010/02/02/will-they-buy-the-brooklyn-bridge-next/comment-page-1/#comment-106745 Twirling Towards Freedom Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:44:28 +0000 http://monoblogue.us/?p=6930#comment-106745 As always, I'm commenting on something way tangential to the entry, but this was my favorite part: "While I heard a lot of proponents of the deal during the portion of the public hearing I watched on PAC-14, Julie pointed out that a number of opponents were likely unable to attend because they were working or watching their children who were home from school thanks to a snow day." Maybe they should spend some of this "free" money to actually PLOW the roads when it snows and send these kids to school, instead of waiting for the snow to melt like we live in Texas or something. They're endangering taxpayers (few of which know how to do anything but panic when it comes to snow) and wasting time and money by shutting down the city. ('Course, my job is made absolutely horrendous in the summer because the kids are out of school, so maybe I should hope for a month of Sundays of snow days so they'll be in school 'til August!) I digress. Some of the roads IN CITY LIMITS haven't even been plowed yet - they've just been flattened by tires. Yet you know they'll pitch a fit at city residents for not shoveling their sidewalk. I guess I'm jaded after having lived in Massachusetts for a few winters, where getting a foot of snow once a week was normal, and nothing was closed! And driving in BOSTON city limits, when unplowed, is definitely NOT a fun time. As always, I’m commenting on something way tangential to the entry, but this was my favorite part:

“While I heard a lot of proponents of the deal during the portion of the public hearing I watched on PAC-14, Julie pointed out that a number of opponents were likely unable to attend because they were working or watching their children who were home from school thanks to a snow day.”

Maybe they should spend some of this “free” money to actually PLOW the roads when it snows and send these kids to school, instead of waiting for the snow to melt like we live in Texas or something. They’re endangering taxpayers (few of which know how to do anything but panic when it comes to snow) and wasting time and money by shutting down the city.

(‘Course, my job is made absolutely horrendous in the summer because the kids are out of school, so maybe I should hope for a month of Sundays of snow days so they’ll be in school ’til August!)

I digress. Some of the roads IN CITY LIMITS haven’t even been plowed yet – they’ve just been flattened by tires. Yet you know they’ll pitch a fit at city residents for not shoveling their sidewalk.

I guess I’m jaded after having lived in Massachusetts for a few winters, where getting a foot of snow once a week was normal, and nothing was closed! And driving in BOSTON city limits, when unplowed, is definitely NOT a fun time.

]]> By: Right Coast http://monoblogue.us/2010/02/02/will-they-buy-the-brooklyn-bridge-next/comment-page-1/#comment-106736 Right Coast Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:36:29 +0000 http://monoblogue.us/?p=6930#comment-106736 Thanks for that honorable mention there Michael. I agree with what you have expanded on here and much of what I have thought myself with all of the talk about investment in and protection of "protecting our asset." I predict that only Holloway and Prettyman will vote against it. Thanks for that honorable mention there Michael. I agree with what you have expanded on here and much of what I have thought myself with all of the talk about investment in and protection of “protecting our asset.”

I predict that only Holloway and Prettyman will vote against it.

]]> By: Johnnie Miller http://monoblogue.us/2010/02/02/will-they-buy-the-brooklyn-bridge-next/comment-page-1/#comment-106731 Johnnie Miller Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:53:34 +0000 http://monoblogue.us/?p=6930#comment-106731 I wholeheartedly agree with your analogy about a 'pig in a poke' scenario. The County may - in the long haul - find itself in the predicament to try and re-sell the facility and land. But I'm also in a quandry as to why the County won't disclose how much it is currently paying out in facility rents. Wouldn't the prudent thing to do is to examine how many government agencies are being housed in rented facilities? I wholeheartedly agree with your analogy about a ‘pig in a poke’ scenario. The County may – in the long haul – find itself in the predicament to try and re-sell the facility and land.

But I’m also in a quandry as to why the County won’t disclose how much it is currently paying out in facility rents.

Wouldn’t the prudent thing to do is to examine how many government agencies are being housed in rented facilities?

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