Supporting the Local Businesses

Supporting the Local Businesses:

 

When America in general faces a recession the people in poor communities across America already are experiencing a depression.  Hard economic times is nothing new to poor America.  And the Southside Redevelopment Area is now in a state of depression.  Many of our businesses are failing or struggling because of the lack investment capital. Causing less money to circulate within our community, which is an already over unemployed population and under invested.  These are some of the after effects of long term poor economic conditions.

 

While the Avon Park CRA announced that South District's South Delaney Avenue will receive a much needed overhaul of the streets and roads through a federally funded CDBG Grant, the plans within local government to redevelop the businesses in this area do not go far enough.  While the CRA already condemned at least two major properties in this area in our recent history, we at the National Community Network is concerned with the remaining properties being determined as plight, as of the results of these improved streets and roads.  If the businesses are not improved the properties on the Delaney Avenue Strip may then appear to be plight as a result of progress community progress. And that would a be a sad time in the history of all of Avon Park, Fl.

 

The Avon Park "new historic facade grant," is a step in the right direction, but is hardly enough.  First of all, for many of the businesses that could use these grants, they are struggling, or cannot reopen due lack of investment capital and/or is behind on property taxes. So to offer them a dollar for dollar grant to improve the external areas, with 100% upfront cash required, is really a slap in the face.  What is actually being said is if you can put up $10,000 to fix your property, we will give you a refund of $5,000 at a later date.

 

Here is the middle ground and what we think should be done. The properties that qualify for the new historic facade grant, be given the grant by creating an escrow account.  This way properties that need these grants most, can apply for them and when they come up with the matching funds, they will be able too use the money set aside for their property renovations.  This could be the beginning of a comprehensive program whereby government and citizens can work together, to accomplish the redevelopment of the Southside Redevelopment Area's Southside District.

 

One must attempt to understand the reality and state of South Delaney Avenue.  It is a slum area.  And then one must take into  consideration the proud history of S. Delaney Ave.  With this understanding, we will be able to see the logic of trying to restore these business properties to their current owners.  By doing this, we will be able to start a transformation within community to become a safer, cleaner and more independent, by reducing crime based on property ownership  incentives to care take their restored properties.  Either this or the CDBG Grant will be meaningless to our current property owners, which means we are all be subject to a hostile takeover in the future, due to the increased value of the real estate.  It happened in New York City's Harlem Communities and it can happen here.  We all know Avon Park, FL., is prime real estate just waiting for major investors to come to a compromise with these local agriculture tycoons.

 

Now what I will propose may have sounded far-reaching just a year ago, but today it is a rational thought process and its foundation is principle based.  We believe the solution to the redevelopment of the Southside Redevelopment Area, is the new taxes on the sales of medical marijuana in State of Florida and City of Avon Park. Whereby as of its inception into law, the City of Avon Park, FL., sell a 10 year - $150,000 municipal bond, splitting  the $150,000 equally among Avon Park CRA Districts and continue to give at least 50% of these taxes towards CRA designated areas in Avon Park for the history of this law or until it is determined to no loner be needed.   

 

The $50,000 for the Southside Redevelopment Area, should be used to start the redevelopment process of our businesses.  It should be a comprehensive plan that requires active participation by the grantees and or management of these businesses.  Because fixing a building and putting equipment inside it, without the assurance of proper management is a cocktail for failure. We believe that a major part of our problem is the lack of knowledge concerning business practices. Many of these properties were within families for more than one generation and while beneficiaries may have inherited the family properties, they did not necessarily inherit the family business or know how.