The Governments Role in Urban Renewal

[MTSUBlueraider86]

Over the years, Nashville has had opportunities for public and private investment in urban renewal in Nashville, yet we lost the Sudakem Building, The Genesco Tower, The Hotel Tulane, and many other midrises and towers downtown. The James Robertson Apartments has been in disrepair for decades despite being on the historical register whereas the rest of 7, 8th, and 9th Avenues are not historic preservation districts nor are they redevelopment districts.

What is the role of public versus private investment in the city?

The following article sheds some light on the challenges:

http://americancity.org/columns/entry/2702/

BR86

[East Side Urbanite]

Over the years, Nashville has had opportunities for public and private investment in urban renewal in Nashville, yet we lost the Sudakem Building, The Genesco Tower, The Hotel Tulane, and many other midrises and towers downtown. The James Robertson Apartments has been in disrepair for decades despite being on the historical register whereas the rest of 7, 8th, and 9th Avenues are not historic preservation districts nor are they redevelopment districts.

What is the role of public versus private investment in the city?

The following article sheds some light on the challenges:

http://americancity....mns/entry/2702/

BR86

BR86,

A strong article. Good find. And a wonderful Buffalo building. I would like to see government incentives offered to owners of Nashville's pre-1950s-built structures of six floors or more (there are not many left so we need to save all that are attractive -- which is most of them). For example, and we'll take the owner of the James Robertson Apartments building: properly maintain your building and we'll give you a nice property tax break each year.

Another example, and we'll use JRA again. Metro could ask the Nashville Civic Design Center to find, say, five prospective buyers that have reputations for saving great old buildings and that would rehab the building. If the JRA owner is willing to sell to one, the city would, for example, cover all closing expenses and pay the capital gains taxes for the seller. There could perhaps even be some type of "property tax rebate."

The key is to "reward" owners of cool, old and prominent buildings -- give them incentives to maintain their buildings and even sell them for a "higher and better use."

WW