The council Tuesday also will take up its most comprehensive plans yet for ensuring that business owners and other residents remain part of the city's evolving ballpark conversation. The mayor's previously announced "Diridon Station Area Good Neighbor Committee," citywide town hall meetings and frank chats with neighborhood leaders are part of the prescription.I'm a little wary of having 27 members in this committee, but at least no one will be able to say they are being underrepresented. Perhaps it takes a village to build a ballpark.The Diridon committee would include 27 members, including transit officials, neighborhood leaders and representatives from the group that runs HP Pavilion and from nearby businesses such as Adobe Systems. Its work could start as soon as June, Reed said, with a review of the 2007 report clearing use of the Diridon area for a stadium.
Mayor Reed also indicates that he wants the project to make money for San Jose, but doesn't indicate how. The model I drew up in the last post indicates that San Jose wouldn't make money. They could through a more expensive lease. More likely is some kind of revenue sharing agreement, especially if it involves the redevelopment zone just created out of the Diridon/Arena area.
Credit goes to the Mayor/Council for being steadfast on looking for a public vote. Even if it is only advisory, at least it goes to the point of directly asking citizens if it's a good deal. I'm not for ballot box planning, especially if no public money is going towards the ballpark itself. However, with the Mayor's promises of open government, this is an appropriate step.
6 comments:
ML--I believe that the money for the city that Mayor Reed referred to would be as a result of the ballpark---benefit to downtown businesses which result in financial benefits--no different than the arena which Mayor Reed cited in his statement.
You're right. I had to re-read the Arena economic impact report to get the full picture.
will there be bus service to the freemont bart? how do people using bart to the coliseum currently, make the switch? i dont want to take the regular city bus. because sometimes i get to the game late(and then waiting for 1/2 hour bus service would slow things down alot). sometimes a game goes into extra innings and i guess i would need to be back at freemont bart by 12midnight(the last train is 11:59 actually) to catch the last north train.
what is san jose going to do for everyone that used to get off at the bart station to go to an a's game. anything?, and not just a token something.
anon 4:02,
BART will eventually be extended to downtown San Jose. But because the ballpark will be completed roughly 4 years before the BART extension, I would recommend Amtrak/Capitol Corridor service for East Bay A's fans to Diridon Station/San Jose. A/CC should beef up its service in the coming years to SJ because of high-speed rail at Diridon.
R.M.,
Perhaps it's already been discussed, by why a possible vote on the ballpark but not the Quakes SSS? Both will be privately financed and are using similar mechanisms. I'm thinking it's the capacity difference (32K vs 15K); but still, privately financed is privately financed.
My opinion is that if the majority of surrounding communities/neighbors support the ballpark, and if the ballpark is privately financed by Wolff/A's, no need for a referendum. Again, just my opinion.
the capital corridor doesn't run that late (from the game), yes it would need beefing up, or something does in the way of east bay to san jose for the ballgames.
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