It surprises me that many people ignore facts to arrive at
conclusions that do not fit with their context. Numerous examples of this
phenomenon exist for most public issues under discussion. I’m not sure why this
is true. Is it because they don’t trust authority figures even though they
elected them? Is it because they are afraid of any change in their
surroundings, distrusting the change as a threat to their established routines?
Do they even examine closely current history as it unfolds each day, or are
they applying a broad brush to the past? Allow me to give an example of what
I’m referring to.
Our community has made several efforts to support economic
development over recent decades. The objective was to increase commercial
activity that would support increased tax revenues for use in refurbishing decaying
infrastructure. New employment opportunities were dreamed of as well as
increased local retail traffic for local shops and restaurants.
Some of these efforts paid off. First was a major TIF
district (a Tax Increment Financing area). TIF theory works like this: take an
unused parcel of land, improve it with streets, sewers, water supply, curbs,
gutters, street lights and traffic signals; buyers will purchase land parcels
in the area and build office buildings, research facilities, small
manufacturing firms, and a host of other commercial businesses. The increase in
tax revenues from these new businesses would eventually repay the town for its
investment in new infrastructure; it would also develop more business activity,
building of new homes, fresh investment in others parts of town and an overall boost
to the local economy. Such development usually improves quality of life while
sharing the tax burden over a larger tax base.
In Warrenville’s case the investments paid off. Cantera is a
square mile of commercial development at the southern end of town. Property
value in Cantera approaches $170 million and the tax flows created enormous new
budget resources for the taxing bodies. Tax increments alone repaid the initial
TIF investment, and further enriched the community with something like $53
million of fresh dollars that could be used to replace infrastructure in the
older part of town and shared with other taxing bodies.
So our community created a separate TIF district in the
older part of town adjoining the first one. The purpose of the second TIF was
twofold: access TIF 1 dollars to replace and expand aging infrastructure and
hopefully attract new investment to improve existing properties in the older
sections of town.
How did it do? The first objective was very successful:
built a new police department facility; built a new and large public works
garage and operating center; remodeled and doubled the size of the library;
built a new recreation center for the Park District; built a new City Hall;
expanded the Fire District facilities and added new fire trucks to serve the
expanded district; added a stormwater drainage system; replaced curbs, gutters
and street lights; provided new funds for sewer and distribution systems.
Furthermore, all of these facilities were engineered to be efficient as to
maintenance, repair and utility consumption. And all by using TIF 1 and TIF 2
revenue, but not one dime of public debt.
The second objective came close to being realized but in the
end produced few results. Although some homes and businesses refreshed their
properties, new development was sparse. The community developed a vision and
subarea plan in 2007 for expanded retail outlets, walkable shopping districts
as well as new amenities operated by private parties. None of that has yet occurred. There was one golden opportunity presented to
the city in 2006/07 by a developer who purchased property rights, paid for
engineering and planned a development of store fronts and
townhomes/condominiums for an old part of town near some existing retail
businesses. The opportunity disappeared as citizens raised objections to the
changes and the city council voted against the project.
With no new projects submitted the TIF 2 District was ended
early. Before doing that the city council invested in engineering studies, land
use consulting support and researched development opportunities in the
community which resulted in the 2007 Old Town Civic Center Subarea Plan. The
selected area already contained the Recreation
Center
The biggest investment was a purchase by the city of 4.5
acres of a vacant manufacturing building (former Musselman Lumber) within the
targeted downtown area. Rather than allow another user of that space to derail long-term
plans, the city took control of the parcel for downtown redevelopment. More on this in a later installment.
Before downtown land-use planning was complete, the 2007 real
estate depression happened. For seven years progress on the 2007 Subarea Plan
has been slow. Defining what is wanted and dreamed about is one thing; implementing
those dreams is another until the markets rebound. So a waiting game ensued,
with the city working to clean up and prepare the former Musselman property for
re-development once the real estate and housing market rebounds.
With real estate markets improving in 2013 the city created
TIF 3 to revive its plans and move forward with help from private investors.
The city has learned from the past: do nothing and change
will be imposed on you; do something and you affect the changes that will eventually
arrive; actively plan and invest in the future and the community can attract
the kind of change it wants and sustain for the long term.
Some people complain the city has not worked hard at
economic development. I think what I have written above demonstrates they are
mistaken. But they will not pay attention to these words. They don’t get it.
Benjamin Franklin had a saying that is appropriate here: “Tell
me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
And at 87 years of age, Michelangelo admitted this: “I am still learning.”
May we all get involved and make learning a lifelong
enterprise. Our community has done this and bit by bit it is reaping the
rewards. Others should take note. And pay attention.
August 21, 2013
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