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Post by Super King on Sept 26, 2012 13:59:58 GMT -6
Not so fast, says Glendale.... www.jsonline.com/sports/panthers/uwm-eyes-land-in-glendale-for-baseball-track-and-field-facilities-h570d9t-171216851.htmlI have some insight into this as I used to work for Glendale. The property in question is in a TIF district. I am not sure if that TIF is paid off (it might very well be) but I know most TIF districts do not (and financially cannot) allow for non-taxable land within that district otheriwse it screws up the payoff of the bonds. Even if the TIF is paid off, this land is supposed to be a tax generating peice of property. Sitting vacant it generates $21,656.78 in annual tax revenue for Glendale, the School District, Mke County, MMSD, and MATC. With development that number could quadruple. Why would Glendale agree to remove one of its largest undeveloped parcels of land from the tax rolls? UWM purchasing this is bad for Glendale and I agree with the City Administrator, its not the right fit for this property. Its near nothing so it generates no economic impact (unlike that thesis project for the land on North Avevue and Cambrige, which would have been a great catalyst for more redevelopment). You would think that UWM would have at least had some discussions with Glendale about this proposal before going public with these plans. This isn't Ohio State where the university gets whatever it wants, no questions asked. As I understand it, if this land is currently in the hands of a private realtor, the state of Wisconsin can use eminant domain to take it for public use no matter what it's zoned for. If the state feels that the land is best used for UWM's baseball facility, it wouldn't matter what the city of Glendale thinks about it.
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Post by gman2 on Sept 26, 2012 20:42:59 GMT -6
Not so fast, says Glendale.... www.jsonline.com/sports/panthers/uwm-eyes-land-in-glendale-for-baseball-track-and-field-facilities-h570d9t-171216851.htmlI have some insight into this as I used to work for Glendale. The property in question is in a TIF district. I am not sure if that TIF is paid off (it might very well be) but I know most TIF districts do not (and financially cannot) allow for non-taxable land within that district otheriwse it screws up the payoff of the bonds. Even if the TIF is paid off, this land is supposed to be a tax generating peice of property. Sitting vacant it generates $21,656.78 in annual tax revenue for Glendale, the School District, Mke County, MMSD, and MATC. With development that number could quadruple. Why would Glendale agree to remove one of its largest undeveloped parcels of land from the tax rolls? UWM purchasing this is bad for Glendale and I agree with the City Administrator, its not the right fit for this property. Its near nothing so it generates no economic impact (unlike that thesis project for the land on North Avevue and Cambrige, which would have been a great catalyst for more redevelopment). You would think that UWM would have at least had some discussions with Glendale about this proposal before going public with these plans. This isn't Ohio State where the university gets whatever it wants, no questions asked. As I understand it, if this land is currently in the hands of a private realtor, the state of Wisconsin can use eminant domain to take it for public use no matter what it's zoned for. If the state feels that the land is best used for UWM's baseball facility, it wouldn't matter what the city of Glendale thinks about it. If bonds were issued to pay for preparing the land for redevelopment it's as simple as using eminent domain to secure the land. There would be other legal ramifications. Where I live, if this was attempted, residents would be up in arms would not want a non-taxable use in an area that was prepared for a taxable property. Sounds like this was a premature announcement. Once again UWM may end up looking like an institution that has no clue what they are doing.
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Post by freshmilwaukee on Sept 27, 2012 7:32:03 GMT -6
This is why when we floated the idea out there 3 years ago we went with the approach of using a county park. Developing a partnership between the park system and the university. When this was going on there was a report released about how the park system could not maintain their various pieces of land and we wanted to find a way to secure park land for the project. Just have them turn it over to the state and UWM.
This is a good project for all because it will help get the ball rolling on the basketball facility. Once baseball and track are out of Klotsche you have 2 less sports to worry about when and if renovation or new construction start. This is a giant puzzle and a few pieces have to be moved around first to make the big pieces (basketball arena) work perfectly. This site is closer to campus now than Lincoln Park.
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Post by repoman on Sept 28, 2012 9:38:04 GMT -6
Eniment Domain is used when a government entity cannot negotiate a purchase of the property. The issue here is that the property owner seems to want to sell it to the university so what would the point of using eminent domain when there seems to be a willingness of the property owner to sell?
The issue is that of zoning and land use, which is a power that municipalities have, not the state of Wisconsin.
Now there could be an end-around where the owner agrees to let UWM start eminent domain proceedings in order to subvert Glendale's opposition. However this would likely result in a long legal battle with the City. I don't think the University would want this negative press.
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Post by DunneDeal on Sept 28, 2012 13:54:13 GMT -6
My question is, how long as this land sat empty where you could sell this to someone who wants to do something with it. The area in question not in a hot bed of growth, but taxes are taxes.
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Post by repoman on Sept 28, 2012 14:22:03 GMT -6
DunneDeal, you are right. That land has sat vacant for over a decade and I am sure the owner hates paying taxes on land that brings him no revenue, but as you said, taxes are taxes. Maybe they could work out a deal with the City for a payment in lieu of taxes agreement so the City isn't entirely screwed on its expenditures within the TIF.
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Post by kingsteve on Sept 28, 2012 14:59:20 GMT -6
Hopefully something can be worked out. Pragmatically, doubtful even in a flourishing economy that this particular site would be in great demand for office, retail, maybe warehouse or light industrial but other land available for that. I took a drive down there this week to look at the footprint and lets just say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush...otherwise that could sit vacant for another 10 years!!!!
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Post by gman2 on Feb 11, 2013 8:24:22 GMT -6
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Post by kingsteve on Feb 11, 2013 9:15:47 GMT -6
Bud Selig earns something like $20 million a year yet has not given a dime to local baseball .....his hero Henry Aaron has a field named after him that is a disgrace to his name...has Bud ever seen this dump? How about somebody approach Selig, appeal to him to fund a Bud Selig Field that could be a multi purpose baseball facility as UWM's home field but also be used for other community especially mintority baseball games, camps or academy...could be a wonderful legacy...
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Post by gman2 on Feb 11, 2013 10:10:03 GMT -6
The immediate Milwaukee County area has pretty shabby baseball facilities all around. With all the communities have given the Brewers in terms of tax support for the stadium, it would be nice to see something given back to the community from a facilities standpoint, and not just UWM.
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Post by kingsteve on Feb 11, 2013 11:35:35 GMT -6
BTW - What is the status of the new baseball/track facility Geiger "kind of announced" for which there is a million dollar donor on the table? Has this fallen apart?
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Post by gman2 on Feb 11, 2013 11:59:42 GMT -6
The one D1 sport in which UWM can set itself apart. This should be the top sports facility initiative the university moves on. The university should look into the possibility of a mutliple field facility, with the main baseball complex and one or more adjoining high school/college size hardball fields. One thing that is lacking in the immediate Milwaukee County area is the ability to hold baseball tournaments for 7th and 8th grade youth leagues that play on high school fields and high school tournaments.
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Post by kingsteve on Feb 11, 2013 14:16:55 GMT -6
In looking at the Granderson article appears MLB has actually set aside SIGNIFICANT funding under some type of inner city grant program that partners MLB and the university. Appears to be an initiative available in major league cities. Again, the commissioner of baseball has his office here but not a darn thing? ?? Oh yeah, he has to line his pockets more or lobby for baseball in Madison? Either he has something against UWM or no one has asked him. How more obvious could this be as this is a MLB formal program in place? Hello!!!!!! Anybody home? ?? or Is this the structure that supposedly Koonce was working on when he departed and apparently had fallen off the map unless the alledged million dollar donor accounced by Geiger with no followup is somehow a similiar venture? If not, what the heck have we been doing if MLB has significant money available and no one at UWM has pursued?? That would be a surprise, pardon the sacrasm
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Post by freshmilwaukee on Feb 12, 2013 18:45:27 GMT -6
Kingsteve, gman. We had secured MLB Urban Youth Academy partnership for the facility we were pursuing 3 years ago. Everything I've gathered is that once the primary players in that plan left, it spun it's wheels and was abandoned by Dave Gilbert and/or Rick Costello.
I brought it up again this weekend while I was in town and Geiger said the same thing, pursue RBI and Urban Youth Academy funds. To qualify under Urban Youth Academy we would have to have three pieces put together to make it operate: Milwaukee Brewers foundation, an educational entity (UWM) and a neighborhood that would benefit from the program.
I stood in Bud Selig's office along with Koonce and several other VP's and EVP's from MLB and they were excited and looking forward to this project and partnership. We'll see where the development goes from here. Sounds like they are taking steps to finalize a site and get things moving along. More funding will be needed from what I gather.
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Post by PantherU on Feb 14, 2013 2:29:37 GMT -6
Kingsteve, gman. We had secured MLB Urban Youth Academy partnership for the facility we were pursuing 3 years ago. Everything I've gathered is that once the primary players in that plan left, it spun it's wheels and was abandoned by Dave Gilbert and/or Rick Costello. I brought it up again this weekend while I was in town and Geiger said the same thing, pursue RBI and Urban Youth Academy funds. To qualify under Urban Youth Academy we would have to have three pieces put together to make it operate: Milwaukee Brewers foundation, an educational entity (UWM) and a neighborhood that would benefit from the program. I stood in Bud Selig's office along with Koonce and several other VP's and EVP's from MLB and they were excited and looking forward to this project and partnership. We'll see where the development goes from here. Sounds like they are taking steps to finalize a site and get things moving along. More funding will be needed from what I gather. I can second what Fresh has said here. The plans I got to see from when he worked with George just looked amazing, and the cost to the university was just wildly small for a facility of its kind. I didn't realize that the Granderson Stadium would be along the same lines as Fresh's project. Let's do it. Let's stop worrying about who is going to be the next AD and start pushing for something like this. I encourage everyone to write an e-mail to Chancellor Lovell supporting the pursuit of a facility like this.
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