[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty6zCNzwd4M[/youtube]
If you didn’t have a chance to hear yesterday’s press conference, you can view it on the non-free online newspaper, if you have a subscription. Ahem.
Anyhoo, during the press conference Huether kinda sounded like he wanted to star in the movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
First he said he would fly to Fort Worth, TX to talk to officials. Then he talked about how there is talk of a high speed train to be built across the country, because lastly, people will not be driving cars in the future. Okay, LaRouche.
The highlight of the press conference was when Ellis, from the AL asked Huether if this was a project that ‘That benefits a few, at the expense of many.’
Well, Mike didn’t like that question and he took about half the press conference to explain why, glaring at Ellis the entire time.
Things are getting weirder everyday at City Hall.
Economic development should work in harmony with the
preservation of our history and culture. My problem with
the track relocation program is that it further erases our
history and its continuance into todays world.
Lets not forget when the County wanted to tear down
the Coliseum or those in 1970s who publicly talked about
tearing down the old Courthouse.
Nationally, strip malls are being built across the street from Civil War battlefields, in LA the Ambassador Hotel
was torn down, and the stadium which Babe built is no
more … better get to a Cubs game, whether you like them or not, before they decide to tear down Wrigley Field.
I am for progress, but there needs to be harmony, and
how can we say we are promoting safety when we pass
the problem on to the citizens of Brandon rather than
really solving the problem and preserve history at the same time.
At least LaRouche is opposed to subprime lending.
There’s never going to be high-speed rail in Sioux Falls, but simple regular-speed passenger rail would be a nice addition. While the mayor did show a bit of naivete on the subject, it is indeed true that rail travel will have to make a comeback in this country sooner or later.
I’m frankly amazed that an elected official in this town actually talked about passenger rail in an official capacity. It’s a start, I guess…
Did I hear correctly that the ‘no build’ option is basically off the table in the Mayor’s eyes? That’s what I thought I heard him say…
Doing nothing is sometimes the best option. I haven’t decided what option I support, so I’m not even saying I’m in the no build camp. I need to know more and am studying the issue. It may be that because of delays the best option in terms of impacts and greater good is doing nothing, that has to be kept on the table as a viable option. The Mayor may have to accept the cards he was dealt don’t give him any better options than leaving things as is. Change isn’t always better.
If we can’t figure out a way to make $35 million work in our favor then we are a bunch of idiots. I think people are actually dumb enough to think if we give it back – it will go towards the bottom line of the national debt and we in the end are martyrs. Uh – no – it would go towards another state’s project. The tracks do not have the same meaning to DT as they did way back when. To compare railroad tracks to the coliseum is ridiculous. People don’t go look at the tracks for their history as they do with the coliseum and the old courthouse. The tracks need to move and they needed to move yesterday. Good grief – get a plan so SF can develop more of DT, create more economic development, the state can make even more tax dollars from SF, and in the end – the whole state wins.
I used to call LLR’s supporters “LaRouche-bags”, but these days I can’t seem to find any.
As for the topic at hand, unlike other projects that will go unmentioned, this one actually has a down payment and significant, measurable economic impacts over the long term. A lot of people look at rail in historic & nostalgic terms, but in reality it’s the future of efficent commerce. That’s why it’s such a significant part of Warren Buffet’s portfolio.
It’s true, you could open up 17 +/- acres of ground for development downtown, but people need to understand that mixed-use development downtown will yield up to 800% more tax revenues (yes, even with the TIFs) than that same acre redeveloped on the edge of town for a Super Wal-mart. Also, with the switchyard out, you elminate two of the largest impediments to residential development downtown; noise and congestion ie delays from the trains. That will also positively impact the neighborhoods close to downtown, like the one our host resides in.
Beyond that, study Area 2 (Timberline Ave) seems to make the most sense for a vareity of reasons. It’s right by where TJN is going in. It’s right by all the gravel pits & industrial users already out there. It’s just west of the area between SF & Brandon (study Area 3) that for some reason has all those Brandonites up in arms because a rail yard was going into an area that is “gasp” (wait for it)……………………………………………………………………………………ALREADY PLANNED TO BE AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE! Oh the humanity!
Seriously, I don’t know why people who put up a $500K house on the Bluffs are all bent. All that low ground they look down on now will end up being a bunch of tin sheds of various sizes someday. Hell, unless they change the zoning it could end up being where Morrells relocates someday. I bet a switchyard wouldn’t look or smell all that bad in comparison.
i think moving the train tracks is a moot point, since we all know that everything from now on will be built by the new event center.
Increased safety for both Sioux Falls and Brandon citizens is an argument that carries less and less weight as this discussion continues! I’ve noticed over time that even the official presenters of this project are now putting less emphasis on the “safety card”.
There are currently five rail lines that cross both 6th and 8th streets. After the project’s completion, two active rail lines would still remain at these two crossings. How does this increase safety and decrease delays?
In addition, two of the proposals for the reconfiguration of the rail lines involve increased train traffic at at-grade crossings throughout the city.
The first is the SE “rail siding option” that involves increased train traffic at at-grade crossings at 14th and Cliff, River Blvd and Southeastern Drive, 26th Street and Southeastern Drive, and 49th and Southeastern Drive.
The most recent proposal would involve major traffic delays on one of our city’s main north-south routes (12th and Cliff). In order to get around the trains that would block Cliff Avenue, traffic would be routed through surrounding neighborhoods!!! A ludicrous idea which is almost starting to make the proponents of this project look DESPERATE!!!!!
As for Brandon residents, (many who commute to Sioux Falls to work) how is adding five at-grade crossings on Rice Street going to INCREASE safety and DECREASE delays!!??
This entire idea of relocating the switchyard has really come down to a question of what are Sioux Falls citizens willing to sacrifice in order to free up 47 acres (per Benesch) of downtown land for commercial and residential development!!!???
Alice 15, how does moving everything to Brandon make it safer for the residents of Brandon.
In addition, what are we going to develop on the current rail yard? Buildings? Whatever happen to all of the development which was suppose to happen on north Phillips on the way to the Falls. If we cannot develop that what makes you think we can find the interest to develop an area even further from the current heart of
downtown. If rails are not history, then you do not know your history. Why did we save the Rock Island Depot in
the back drop of much more modern buildings and why
did we save the Milwaukee Railroad Depot.
If the Mayor is sincere and credible about Amtrak and Sioux Falls, would it not make more sense to deliver the Amtrak customers to downtown Sioux Falls and not
Brandon?
Personally, I think the whole thing is a gigantic clusterfuck that will never get solved, and nothing will happen.
I do agree with Alice on one level. You don’t just ‘give federal money back.’ That is silly. Because it is an earmark that hasn’t been spent yet (on paper) there is no money sitting in an account.
Your right l3wis, but it would be $35 million of less debt (or obligation in a dreamy “balanced budget” world) if the authorization was never utilized.
That $35 million is going to be spent, we can take it or let someone else have it.
Ron Paul is the new Lyndon LaRouche.
I have said, it is too bad they can’t earmark the money for all the FEDERAL levees we built at our expense. Ratfinks!
…you can view it on the non-free online newspaper, if you have a subscription. Ahem.
Just wondering. Have you noticed any sort of uptick since the Sanford Leader went paywall?
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120302/04174217945/dear-big-newspapers-keep-putting-up-silly-paywalls-clear-internet-field-us-newcomers.shtml
Kind of. I have often taught that linking the AL helped me, but in fact I do have more traffic. I usually hover at 9-11,000 computer users a day. But I can hit as high as 17,000 a day. I think I got more popular during the mayoral campaign and EC debate. And I think focusing more on SF news helps to.
You know there are ways around the paywall that are pretty simple. I won’t post about it here, but ask a computer savvy person and they will explain to you how to do it.
High speed rail, especially MagLev (magnetic levitation) technology is good for the nation and the world…think BIG!
Why have we shelled out $26 trillion in bailout money for Wall Street and European MegaBanks to help them pay their derivatives gambling debts, when our nation is tanking?
Why not have vision and make progress for the future as Kennedy did? (and as Larouche does!)
Ron Paul is NOT the new Lyndon LaRouche-he is a Libertarian, who’s economic philosophy is the antithesis of the constitution, which he otherwise stolidly defends. LaRouche is an American System economicst in the tradition of Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, and FDR.
And the next great big project which would help SD and all the Great Plains states is NAWAPA