The Community Redevelopment District (CRD) is a concept introduced years ago to assist in the redevelopment of blighted areas. It was hoped this type of financing could eliminate crime, increase employment and assist the citizens who owned property in the area to improve their neighborhood. To date there is no substantial body of evidence to show that CRD’s have had any significant impact on crime nor have they aided the original residents to improve there neighborhood. There is, however, evidence to the contrary. Several independent studies show that CRD’s do little to eliminate crime they simply move it to a different neighborhood. These studies show the chief beneficiary of the successful redevelopment efforts are the big developers who swoop in to pick up prime property at bargain basement prices, not the citizens who are often forced to give up there homes and businesses.

 

Why should local citizens fear community redevelopment proposals that start with the word “blight”?   Well, ask Nancy Kelo who had her life long home on the Connecticut River taken from her so that the city of New London could let a developer build high price condos.  The Supreme Court of the United States said it was “OK”!  And if citizens didn’t like it they would have to seek protection on a local level by putting in strong legislation and electing city councils who would pledge not to take their property.

 

Some of Nancy Kelo’s neighbors were willing to sell, take the cash and move on: so you would think the value of Nancy’s house would go up because in a free market, the developers would be forced to pay a higher price to complete their development.  Not so, because the buyer was the city of New London and they weren’t buying they were condemning and more money is not an option.

 

Can this happen here?  It is happening!!  Residents of the area along Old 41 have now been officially declared as “blighted” by a city that wants more tax revenues. Step one is already in place in your community. Step two; City Council will designate this area a Community Redevelopment District, that means your future tax dollars will support the whole city including the blighted areas  while future tax dollars in the blighted areas will be kept just in that area for improvements there.

 

This Community Redevelopment District will likely borrow large sums of money to enhance the area with parking garages and to subsidize developers. Guess who is responsible for those loans if they go bad? You are!  Property owners within that “blighted” area will no longer have a free market in which to sell their property because the City now has the right to seize there property through eminent domain.

 

This area redevelopment in Bonita Springs will likely be very successful; not because of the Community Redevelopment District, but for the same reason your middle class home has gone up in value…..a lot of baby boomers want to retire here!  Your home or business could be sitting on some of the most valuable land in the nation and it should not need your tax dollars to subsidize development.

 

Please note, that when the area redevelopment is wildly successful, who will profit from this success?  Will you?  Or will it be the developers hand picked by City to whom you were forced to sell your property?  Did you know that Fifth Avenue in Naples is a Community Redevelopment District and the citizens of Naples are still giving it tax subsidies?  When the CRD properties have doubled or tripled in value will your city benefit from the additional taxes collected?  No, because those taxes will stay in the developed district to make the wealthy developer more wealthy!

 

Community Redevelopment Districts have never been successful in achieving the purpose for which they were conceived; that is to restore truly blighted areas.  In fact, the very first big case of this nature; the “Pole town neighborhood” in Detroit was taken to build a General Motors plant.  The Supreme Court of Michigan has now reversed itself and admitted they made a big mistake.  Unfortunately, it is too late for the folks who lost their lifelong homes.

 

Community Redevelopment Districts are nothing more than a tool for wealthy, well connected developers to take the land they want at bargain prices. CRDs take unfair advantage of all the taxpayers in the city and they discriminate against other free market developments. There is no evidence to show that Community Redevelopment Districts have had any meaningful effect on crime except to cosmetically cover it up or move it to another neighborhood.  The only real success of this program is that community redevelopment supporters have learned to put arm rests between each seat on the new public benches they buy so vagrants can’t sleep on them!

 

  Let the free market develop Old 41.