Brewed Fresh Daily

I got this in an email from the Downtown Cleveland Partnership:

By now you have most likely heard the news that there will not be a vote on a convention center or other arts/economic development initiatives this November. The Downtown Cleveland Partnership is extremely disappointed that the community's much-needed new convention center is going to be delayed. Regardless of this decision, we see the need for a new convention center grow by the day. Building a new center is vital to preserving and protecting the businesses and jobs that currently exist as well as spurring additional investment and development in the years ahead.

I would tend to disagree, but I heard an interesting arguement from Anthony Yen at the EduCAT meeting the other night. He's in favor of a new convention center because the first experience that many asians businessmen have of an American city is coming to a convention. But Mayor Campbell pulls the plug in the PD article that the title of this post links to:

Mayor Jane Campbell dramatically reversed course yesterday on building a convention center, saying she does not support raising taxes for a new facility. The move effectively ends the debate over building a multimillion-dollar convention center. "We really can't expect people to be ready to raise their taxes right now," Campbell said at a City Hall news confer ence. "I don't think it bene fits the com munity to push something the community does not want to do." Campbell blamed the public's oppo sition on the slumping economy and a series of recent tax increases, including a 1 percentage-point rise in the state sales tax, property-tax reappraisals and the countywide health and human services tax. A poll last month showed that 65 percent of voters opposed a tax increase for a convention center. Several business leaders said yesterday that a new poll showed voter support had eroded further, with at least 75 percent of voters opposing the convention center tax.

BFD recommends you read Developing Sports, Convention, and Performing Arts Centers. Now there's an idea! How can you do a multi-purpose site? Is there a way that it can be a shared public space, not just one for conventions? If people won't increase their taxes for a convention center, what will they increase taxes for? Instead of building support for the arts together with the convention center, can we build a facility that everyone can use? I welcome your comments. Leave them by clicking the link below.