CHICAGO | General Discussions

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Exactly

I provided an example of government investment in Englewood bringing private dollars along with it.

Can you elaborate on how Englewood Square doesn't fit the model of private investment following public investment?

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

I provided an example of government investment in Englewood bringing private dollars along with it.

Can you elaborate on how Englewood Square doesn't fit the model of private investment following public investment?

Englewood Square is a good example of what the City can do and a good example of TIF working. That strip mall is definitely good for the neighborhood, but it hasn't materially made a difference. At the end of the day, Englewood is still in decline with high crime and population loss.

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Englewood Square is a good example of what the City can do and a good example of TIF working. That strip mall is definitely good for the neighborhood, but it hasn't materially made a difference. At the end of the day, Englewood is still in decline with high crime and population loss.

A far cry from your original comment:

Government can help, but in the end, it is the profit motive that is best for investment. There is very little the City of Chicago can do to help Englewood.

How can you claim it hasn't made a material difference? How many local residents are employed by Englewood Square? How many are eating healthier because of the new options available? You don't know the answers to these questions and neither do I.

Will this one development save an entire neighborhood, no. Then again, nobody ever claimed it would. It has, however, proven that private investment will follow public investment even in places like Englewood. Ranting about socialism (or trying to conflate it to communism, like Baronvonellis) doesn't really help anyone answer any of those questions and certainly doesn't help the people living in Englewood today.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

A far cry from your original comment:



How can you claim it hasn't made a material difference? How many local residents are employed by Englewood Square? How many are eating healthier because of the new options available? You don't know the answers to these questions and neither do I.

Will this one development save an entire neighborhood, no. Then again, nobody ever claimed it would. It has, however, proven that private investment will follow public investment even in places like Englewood. Ranting about socialism (or trying to conflate it to communism, like Baronvonellis) doesn't really help anyone answer any of those questions and certainly doesn't help the people living in Englewood today.

Reread my comment you quoted. To a limited extent TIF can help and it should be utilized. I never said otherwise. I have always been in favor of TIF. Big picture, City government will never solve Englewood's problems.

You're right that I don't know how many local residents are employed at Englewood Square (all 42,000 SF of it), but knowing retail, there are probably not that many, and a good portion are part time.

[Baronvonellis]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

A far cry from your original comment:



How can you claim it hasn't made a material difference? How many local residents are employed by Englewood Square? How many are eating healthier because of the new options available? You don't know the answers to these questions and neither do I.

Will this one development save an entire neighborhood, no. Then again, nobody ever claimed it would. It has, however, proven that private investment will follow public investment even in places like Englewood. Ranting about socialism (or trying to conflate it to communism, like Baronvonellis) doesn't really help anyone answer any of those questions and certainly doesn't help the people living in Englewood today.

Well yes this was built with public money. How successful are the businesses today? I don't go there so I'm legitimately asking how it's doing. I mean it's nice they built a whole foods, but the food there is very expensive. I have a middle class job and would never shop at whole foods. I don't know why they think people in poverty could afford to shop at whole foods. It would have been better to open a Jewel there. What private investment has followed this public investment in Englewood?

To make any great change in Englewood, it would have to be Communism. The leaders in those areas are asking the city to build everything for them.