Picking up my light rail musings, the Charlotte Capitalist points back to a very important 2003 report outlining just what the South Blvd. line is supposed to achieve in its role as a centrally-planned redevelopment engine. The money graf:
Yet, for larger-scale development to be attracted to the transit station areas, the City and/or County will need to work with the development community and take a proactive stance on development beyond the zoning and infrastructure investments planned in the area. Policies that should be considered by the City/County include parcel asemblage, site preparation, brownfield investigations, provision of municipally-owned parking structures, provision of gap financing, joint development opportunities (with the City/County contributing land ) and other proactive steps to attract development and limit development and financing hurdles.
Let’s see, proactive steps like hiring economic development specialists to “guide” development around planned stations? Why, yes. Exactly. Subsidizing developers? Check. Getting rid of surface parking lots? Check. Portland-izing Charlotte? Check.
Is it any wonder the public is never meant to read such things?
