Apr. 07, 2005 - 21:08 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Hitch In The Get-along

I didn't note the date on this article in the Rocky Mountain News by Javier Erik Olvera of the same paper. I would say it was in the first few days of this April. In part:

Aurora abandons E. Colfax project

"Aurora is scrapping its plans for the $50 million redevelopment of acreage across from the old Fitzsimons Army Medical Center because the land is too expensive."

"For the past three years, the city has planned to transform 17 acres of aging businesses and housing at East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street into an upscale development anchored by a grocery store."

"But the plans ground to a halt Wednesday when city officials realized there was no way around an estimated $12 million shortfall in the funding needed to get the project off the ground."

"Some of the 34 property owners who faced losing their homes or businesses if the project had gone forward are breathing a bit easier now, with one saying, "It's nice to finally have this monkey off my back."

"But Aurora officials say they aren't giving up on plans to redevelop the area but will now rely on developers rather than the city to make it a reality."

"The decision really doesn't change our commitment to the area," said Councilwoman Ingred Lindemann, adding that she expects developers will be approaching property owners in large numbers as the the remaking of Fitzsimons approaches completion."

The project would have been a cornerstone of efforts to refurbish 110 acres around Fitzsimons that the city designated as blighted and wanted to redevelop with coffee houses, grocery stores and restaurants."

"The Peoria Street and East Colfax Avenue intersection became a redevelopment priority, with the city working with a developer to either buy or condemn the property of unwilling sellers."

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Opinions of this guy. Way back when I was a kid, the intersection of Colfax and Peoria was the dividing line between town and prairie. Not much existed east of there. Fitzsimons was it . . . . .

Then Aurora put in curbs and gutters and amenities west of Peoria, things like that and businesses began to occupy that area.

As far as the grandiose scheme of putting in a grocery store is concerned, seems to me that Safeway vacated that intersection a long time ago. The only reason I can see is that there wasn't enough volume to keep it going. Can there be any other reason ?

The city designated the area as blighted and the only reason I can that they did that is they figured they could put in businesses that would generate more sales tax for the city. Blighted my foot, there were homes there occupied by people who felt they weren't offered a fair price. Businesses I saw grow up as I aged and where the owners were making a living. Yet no one wanted to pay a fair price it seems to me. Obviously they considered using eminent domain as a panacea for their ills.

Apparently the Councilwoman feels the developers will pay the tab and buy the businesses and homes out. Makes me chuckle a bit.

Wonder what kind of deal the developers will cut with the city in the way of sales tax relief and associated things ?

But it seems that Aurora "developed" a Hitch In The Get-along . . . . . . . . .

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