Half a billion dollars is a lot of money.
Harbor Shores is a controversial, massive development being planned in Benton Harbor. It's impossible to deny that this work is going to make a huge impact on this community; opinions vary about what that impact will be.
I hear a lot of people who are surprised and a little upset when they see the trees getting cut down to make way for this golf course. Personally, I think the whole thing isn't really the best way for Benton Harbor to go. However, it's too late to have that discussion; Harbor Shores is coming, for better or worse.
Benton Harbor is selling off it's biggest, most valuable asset, and we need to make sure we get the highest price possible for it, without setting the course for a radically different city. Here's what I predict will happen:
Benton Harbor will become more desirable to higher income families, who will be mostly white. The Arts District will start to feel like downtown Saint Joseph, for adults. Morton Hill, and in general the area north of Main Street will become upper middle class. (All you people trying to flip property should seriously consider investing in Morton Hill.)
As people move in north of Main street, poorer families will be forced to sell their homes and move south of Main street, progressively further from the Lake. Poor, uneducated neighbrhoods will become more sharply defined, and crime will focus there.
You might think I'm just being pessimistic. Fine. But look: economic and social stratification has happened like this for all of recorded history, and is still happening today. I don't really expect it to make an exception for us. Why do you think Benton Harbor got this way?
The fundamental difference between us and Detroit is geography; There's no real advantage to living in downtown Detroit, so all the wealth had room to expand around the city. The wealth in Benton Harbor is going to want to focus on the lake and the Arts District, and expand through the existing neighborhoods.
In other words, history will repeat itself, and outside wealth will get the most desirable parts of Benton Harbor. Unless we act first.
First, we rewrite the property taxes to use the actual market value of a building. This way, as property values rise (and they will) the city will generate proportionally more income, and the particularly wealthy families moving into the most desirable communities will pay higher taxes.
Property tax is like rent; if you want to live in a nice place, you have to pay more. This is fair. Rich people don't like this - they're going to push to influence the government to lower their taxes. Unless we act first.
Secondly, and this is very important, we freeze property taxes for current citizens. This way we make sure that homes stay affordable for the people already living in them, and reward the citizens who helped make all this possible by sticking through the tough times.
Lastly, the clever part:
we freeze property taxes at the initial rate for all newcomers to the city. In other words, whatever tax you pay on a building when you buy it, you pay that amount of tax until you sell it. The is a reward for settling permanently in Benton Harbor, and because of inflation it's more valuable the longer you stick around.
So, by taking these three steps, Benton Harbor will be able to protect poorer families from being forced to relocate because of rising property values; which prevents the economic stratification of Detroit. It makes the most of the imminent real estate surge. Finally, it encourages and rewards people and families who settle down and create permanent homes in Benton Harbor.
Now is our chance to form a cohesive, visionary plan for our city and southwest Michigan. Now is our chance to take some of the control back from the rich and powerful who are shaping our communities. Now is our chance to do something different, and avoid the recurring mistakes of our past.
Love,
Japhy Bartlett
japhy@doublepaw.org
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It's nice to quote people like this, for clarity.
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Tue May 8 09:37:22 2007
Wealthy people moving into poor areas is not something new. It's called gentrification. Generally, renters lose in those situations.
Benton Harbor is something like 70% renters.
Sadly, a lot of them don't vote either.
J
Wed May 9 14:37:16 2007
This page needs a map or something.. it looks quite dull.
Sat May 12 20:48:27 2007
Have you seen Save Jean Klock Park? I sympathize with them, but I don't think they have much of a chance.
Fri May 18 10:31:44 2007
I congratulate you for your ideas and energy and willingness to challenge the status quo in a positive and constructive way. World class communities historically are places where diverse interests meet and learn and then spark something new together. Gentrification does not necessarily equate to anything dynamic. More often than not, gated communities, such as the one proposed for the Harbor Shores project, create a monoculture. They will never be world class. And, frankly, world class communities don't need to tell everyone how world class they are.
The proposed take- over of Jean Klock Park is not a done deal. The parkland is deed restricted and is protected by the Land and Water Conservation Act administered by the National Park Service and a Consent Judgment recorded in 2004.
The National Park Service has not approved the conversion of the park from public to private use, and its approval is required before the project can proceed.
Thus far the process of taking the park from the public has been legal Ju-Jitsu in its most wearying and dishonest form - it looks OK, but if you scratch the surface, wow.
The lease between the City and the developer allows the developer to use the land - millions of dollars worth - if it were saleable - which it is NOT - as collateral. Nice use of public land, huh - as a security to borrow money which will go to outsiders. Further, the rent they developer is going to pay the city is - are you ready? - $30,000. per year.
As Dave Barry always says, I am not making this up.
Thu May 31 08:03:04 2007
The Benton Spirit covered the Harbor Shores project in a recent issue. It's the best summary of the project I've seen online so far.
J