GREENSBORO, NC -- Dang asks some good questions (in his usual brash way) about the City of Greensboro staff's recommendation that another $26 million be authorized for the downtown greenway.
The public should see an audit of the money spent so far. An official construction audit. We were initially told that the four mile loop would cost an already lofty $26 million. Now it needs another $26 million? That would bring the cost to $13 million per mile. That's more than half of the cost of the four mile portion of the urban loop being built from Bryan Boulevard to Battlegournd Avenue, and that is a six lane highway with four bridges and an interchange.
Something doesn't smell right at all.
How dare you question the integrity of our city government.
ReplyDeleteRoch,
ReplyDeleteHere's an e-mail from Mary Vigue to Denise Turner Roth I posted July 22 2013 that indicated 1 section alone was $10.5 Million over budget with no funding source identified: http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2013/07/downtown-greensboro-greenway-costs.html
Roch:
ReplyDeleteBefore you repeat Eric Robert's assertions, you may want to do an independeny math check.
I read Billy's helpful memo from Mary Vigue. I noted that the total city expenditure were at $4.7 million and fed funds at $3.2 million YTD. The section that Billy referenced was not listed as $10.5 million over budget. The total cost was listed as 10.5 million.Mary was saying that they did not have funding for that section, not that it was overbudget. Go to the Greenway website and you will see that committed federal, state and private donations are not enough to complete the Greenway. I think that you and Eric are implying that the city was asked to spend $26 million and now another $26 million. The Vigue memo does not support that.
I also think that you are not factoring in private support. YTD private support is $8.6 million.
It is fine to debate the merits of a Greenway, but again it is not fine to regurgitate a Blogger who has reputation for exaggeration.
RP, what you cite as YTD is a year old. I am not debating the merits of the greenway. I am questioning its cost, especially since the vast majority of it is with public money.
ReplyDeleteDo you agree with me that a construction audit is a good idea before the public contributes any more funds?
The YTD for donations that I got was current.
ReplyDeleteI think the Greenway should have an annual report done each year showing expenditures. I wish it was on its website. I am sure you and Eric will get ample time to delve into the figures if it actually hits the bond referendum.
My simple question is where the $25 million plus $25 million figure is coming from?
RP, show some balls and please debate us openly.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the exaggerations you speak of?
No one implied anything, it is a well documented fact that the current 4 mile Greenway will cost $26,000,000. Too much anyway you look at it.
It is a fact that the city's finance department showed a slide during yesterday's meeting suggesting that $26,000,000 of additional funds for the Greenway be included in an upcoming bond referendum.
So prove me wrong, use your name or go fuck yourself...you can find me at 816 s elm st...but you already knew that!
Dang:
ReplyDeleteNo offense, but since it apppears that some of the bloggers (not you) on this site tend to try to track down posters that do not agree with them, I am not going to use my name nor use profanity in response.
You toured us through the Lotus when it was under construction. I would love to stop by 816 and get a tour. If I see you walking around town I will introduce myself again. Haven't seen you in a while.
Over to your "this goes out to RP"-- the last batch of emails from Momentum show cooperation and gratitude and nothing untoward. The Jim Budd to Jamal Foxx email is combative. I genuinely am sorry that you haven't felt the same love from the city,
Related to the Greenway there is a difference in cost and financing. $26 million has not been spent or committed by the city,. Unless the slide you saw yesterday implied otherwise. The $26 milllion would cover the unfunded 10.5 million for the Murow section and the railway cooridor. It does not add up to $50 million in total cost. However I am open to futher posts showing $50 million in costs. I think the real number is closer to $35 million. Heybut I undertand you just do not like the Greenway,
the table is updated on my blog...the actual figures are $26,000,000 + proposed $26,400,000 for "various Greenway projects". No exaggerations here!
ReplyDeleteThe only two things I have against the Greenway are its price tag and inflated self perception of economic development impact.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the concept but resent the irresponsible spending and most of all, the mediocre results.
For that kind of cash we deserve GRAND or SPECTACULAR...not passable
I still believe that $26,000,000 is way too much for 4 miles of anything...$35,000,000 would be tragic considering the state of our community.
There are more individuals pushing shopping carts on the Greenway than strollers...what does that tell us?
The $26 million partly goes to cover the portion of the original $26 million that is unfunded, which by my math is $10 million. Still puts total Greenway at $36-40 million. I think we need to wait for more figures
ReplyDeleteDang, good debate. What did jump out to me based upon the slide that you showed was how expensive it will be doing the other road projects. I am curious how much they work out per mile by contrast. In context, the Greenway looks relatively inexpensive.
It may be the both of us don't have a sense of what $1 million buys you anymore. I am sorry that you find the artwork provincial, but I have appreciated how much they have involved the community in the design of the Greenway.
In terms of Greenway usage, it really doesn't run through many true neighborhoods at this point in time. It has truly been running through the homeless section of town. These have been the easy connecting sections. Again, I bet that your new tenants will be using it as soon as the Bragg Street section is complete.
For my part, I am sorry that it had to be done in such a piecemeal fashion and that there was not a strong bond push at the very beginning to get it fully completed in a short period of time.
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ReplyDeleteJust so you know, the cost of building a 2 lane paved road averages about 1 Million per mile.
ReplyDelete