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WEST VALLEY JOURNAL, October 2009, by Kimberly Martinez
The
possible Granger Crossings’ RDA will include approximately 100
businesses and will stir redevelopment to liven up this tired business
district.The West Valley City Redevelopment Agency Board authorized a study to determine if there is enough blight at Granger Crossings, a business district on 3500 South from the I-215 overpass to Redwood Road, to establish it as a redevelopment project area so it can get a needed facelift.
The study was contracted to Bonneville Research, although Mark Nord, West Valley City business development manager, said he’s confident the findings will determine Granger Crossings a perfect candidate for a RDA due to the age and condition of many of the buildings. Following the results, the approval of the Granite School Board is required since those tax dollars go into the RDA for a period of 10 to 15 years to support the redevelopment.
City officials have met with the business owners to obtain feedback about the possible RDA. Nord said they have all been optimistic even though property owners are often leery about their property being deemed as blighted.
“Many business owners would like to expand but with the state of the economy, they haven’t been able to and this will allow them to move forward,” he said.
George Lopez, chairman of Granger Crossings and owner of Don Antonio’s Mexican Restaurant, believes the RDA is just what the area needs. He said despite city efforts of providing a tool for redevelopment, not a lot of movement has taken place. The city’s community and economic department gives Granger Crossing’s property owners the opportunity to apply for an improvement grant where the city will match up to $30,000 toward an improvement project as long as the business owner fronts up 50 percent of the funding. Lopez said business owners just don’t have the initial capital to take advantage of the grant and the RDA is what it will take to get the ball rolling to get this business district up to par and mesh with the developments within the city.
“Granger Crossings is the gateway to the city and we have been the last area to get attention,” Lopez said. “Now the city has finally stepped in to help us get on the same page as other business districts. With nice frontages, plazas and lighting, it won’t look so tired and unappealing to customers.”
Nord agrees the Granger Crossings is in a special location and needs additional support.
“Granger Crossings is one of the city’s entrances since it’s near the freeway connection and it hasn’t been what the city would like as an entrance or gateway,” he said. “The RDA will begin the process in getting it to where we would like it to be.”
FULL ARTICLE
From the article:
10 GORGEOUS WATERFRONT CAMPGROUNDS IN THE U.S.
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey 
on 11.18.09
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (Utah)
View of Flaming Gorge from Red Lodge Trail. Photo by lowjumpingfrog via Flickr.
Though we here at TreeHugger have plenty of bones to pick with dams, it's hard to deny that they've created some dramatic views -- including the one from the campsites on the rim of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Early explorer John Wesley Powell named the gorge after the sun's reflection on its red rocks; the reservoir, created by damming the Green River, is now a playground for boating, fishing, and other water sports, while the river below is open to rafters. Hikers can explore trails winding through evergreen, pinyon pine, and juniper forest, broken up with meadows and views of mountain peaks.
November 16, 10:26 AM, Cheyenne Headlines Examiner, William Robinson
City looks to the future for "Green" projects.
“You’ve got to keep (Green River) the government center of the county,” said Bob Springmeyer, another Blue Canopy representative. “You must keep the courthouse to restore and regenerate the downtown.”
GREEN RIVER, WY — A $79,900 “work in progress” study done by Blue
Canopy Consulting and presented to the Green River City Council Tuesday
evening made numerous socioeconomic recommendations, among which was
that the name of the city needs to be taken better advantage of in
order to attract visitors and new businesses.
A team of Blue Canopy representatives addressed the Council at its
workshop session, led by Brett Palmer of BWP Communications. The
consulting study was titled “Marketing, Branding and Design Action
Plan” and was prepared for the city of Green River.
Among the recommendations is a proposal to brand the downtown historic
district as “Expedition Plaza,” with its own logo, signage and Web site
that builds upon the John Wesley Powell expeditions. A key point of
Palmer’s presentation was that the “Green River Brand” in advertising
and marketing needs to be created, emphasizing the terms “Green” and
“River.” Palmer said this type of community branding would be
“alternative to Rock Springs.”
The report states, in part, “The aspect of Green lends itself to health
and recreation. ... It means small-town values. ... This is a
forward-thinking brand with tremendous appeal. ... Green stands for
environmentally conscious — it means they are a ‘Green’ community. ...”
The study stresses the need to promote the other aspect of the
community’s name. “We must capitalize on the river,” the report states.
“It is the elephant in the room and a part of the city’s name. It is a
powerful differentiator. ... It represents what the community is proud
of as well as its heritage and history. ...”
The report termed the new branding recommendation “deceptively simple.”
References to Rock Springs are sprinkled periodically in the study,
relating to either comparisons or economic rivalry.
Under the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis
portion of the report there is a comment stating, “Most residents like
Green River’s friendly, small-town atmosphere. It feels very different
from Rock Springs and other parts of western Wyoming. It is many
people’s first choice for where they want to live.”
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
KSL Channel 5
October 28th, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY -- The state's bleak finances appear to be even worse than previously thought. The revenue figures for the last three months show the economy is hammering government budgets.
Bob Springmeyer is the president of Bonneville Research. He has been doing economic analysis and planning for local government since 1976. When he saw the quarterly tax revenue numbers for the first three months -- July through September of this fiscal year -- he was stunned.
He said, "This is the first time I've seen this kind of dramatic drop across the board."
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| "This is the first time I've seen this kind of dramatic drop across the board." - Bob Springmeyer, president of Bonneville Research. |
No one expected good news, but the real numbers were worse than projected. Taxes in numerous broad categories, for both state and local governments, were down. Overall, revenues fell 16 percent, totaling $275 million.
Springmeyer said, "I think we're going to have a budget bloodbath this next legislative session."
Sales and use taxes, which fund general government and higher education, slumped 23 percent, nearly $100 million.
Income taxes, which pay for public schools, slid downward $40 million.
Taxes on corporations, the franchise tax, were in free fall, plummeting 73 percent.
He said, "That's one that I think is probably the most scary. That means that businesses are way down, that means employment is going to be down."
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
- Article URL: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=8480014
- View Special Monday Report by Bonneville Research: Utah Budget Bloodbath?