Posted on 04/09/2003 9:37:37 PM PDT by Publicus
Tax breaks for office, hotel approved
By LAUREN BISHOP Journal Staff
ITHACA -- The developer of a proposed office building and hotel in downtown Ithaca has cleared one of the major hurdles that line the way to a planned late summer groundbreaking.
The Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency on Tuesday approved the Buffalo-based Ciminelli Development Co.'s request for nearly $3.9 million in property and sales tax breaks for the $26 million project.
"This was a really significant step," David Chiazza, Ciminelli's vice president for development, said after Tuesday's meeting, noting that he first appeared before the IDA in July. "We're happy with today's result."
The IDA took two separate votes on the project. The agency first voted 7-0 to approve a resolution showing the agency's support for financial incentives for the not-for-profit part of the project -- office space that about 300 Cornell University employees would occupy --and the city's environmental review of the project.
It then voted 6-1 to approve Ciminelli's tax abatement requests, with county Legislator Peter Penniman, D-Ulysses and Enfield, voting no.
Penniman said before the vote that he had a problem with the hotel portion of Ciminelli's project because it caused the funding gap that prompted Ciminelli to request the tax abatements. But he said he supported the creation of office space that would bring about 300 Cornell University employees downtown.
"The potential benefits are tremendous," he said.
Under the tax abatement package, Ciminelli would pay a discounted but gradually increasing amount of property taxes over 20 years. After that time, it would pay taxes on the full value of the property.
The agency granted the tax abatements under its density policy, which aims to promote downtown development and discourage sprawl by offering financial incentives to developers based on the height of the building they're constructing or renovating.
Ciminelli also has requested $10 million in tax-exempt bonds to help finance the not-for-profit portion of the project, the office space that Cornell employees would occupy.
IDA members were scheduled to vote Tuesday on those bonds and up to $20 million in tax-exempt bonds for the City of Ithaca's parking garage and retail project south of the Tompkins County Public Library.
The agency postponed votes on both bond requests pending more information on the financing of the parking garage project, which will provide parking for some of the people who would work in Ciminelli's building.
The IDA also voted 6-1 Tuesday to approve a resolution for the parking garage project that said the agency agreed with the city's assessment of the project's environmental impacts and supported financial incentives for it.
Penniman also voted against that resolution. He said he was "troubled" that the city likely will not be able to pay for the entire parking garage project through higher parking rates, and that he thought the total subsidy, coupled with Ciminelli's tax abatements, was too great.
County Legislature Chairman Tim Joseph, D-Town of Ithaca, said that while he agreed that there was more of a subsidy than it first appeared, "I still think it is worth it."
Ithaca Alderman Dan Cogan, D-5th Ward, and Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera, D-City of Ithaca, said they thought the projects would help keep downtown healthy and vital. Cogan argued that he thought the cost of not undertaking the Cayuga Green and Ciminelli projects would be "very high."
The other hurdles that Ciminelli has yet to clear include approvals from the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission and the city's Planning and Development Board; control of the site at the northwest corner of North Tioga and East Seneca streets; and the finalization of an agreement between Ciminelli and the city about parking and other issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at theithacajournal.com ...
Further to previous postings and replies on the subject, it's crunch time.
As we celebrate the defeat of Saddam and the Baathists of Iraq, other tyrants here at home have been escaping our notice and need to be challenged IMMEDIATELY.
As time is running out, this is the last chance for FREEPERS to make a difference and stop the abuse of fellow citizens at the hands of sleazy officials from Ithaca, NY who can only be most charitably described as the Anti-Freeps.
Although a Marine or Infantry Platoon would decisively solve the problem against the predatory parasites and their corrupt cronies, we should first try the democratic process.
Before proceeding, please consider the following:
1. Do you believe YOUR hard earned tax money should be used by Ithaca officials to fund private development projects- even if they are not, repeat NOT, even commercially viable in their own right?
2. Do you believe YOUR hard earned tax money should be used by Ithaca officials to pressure a productive, law-abiding citizen to abandon his livelihood and business he has painstakingly built over 15 years?
3. Do you believe YOUR hard earned tax money should be used by Ithaca officials to threaten a productive, law-abiding citizen to sell his property to a friend of theirs otherwise they will seize the property using eminent domain?
4. Do you believe YOUR hard earned tax money should be used by Ithaca officials to facilitate the sale of the woman's ownership share in the property WITHOUT her prior knowledge nor permission nor any compensation to her?
5. Do you believe YOUR hard earned tax money should be used by Ithaca officials to fund kickbacks to the perpetrators of illegal acts- i.e. rewarding them for their crimes with YOUR money?
If you answered NO to any of the foregoing questions and really mean it and want to make your view count FREEPER style, call the following Ithaca officials and let them know:
-NO! You do NOT want them using YOUR taxpayer monies to in any way support the private development of the proposed office building and hotel at 130-134 East Seneca Street- it is a private development NOT a public works project;
-NO! You do NOT want them using YOUR taxpayer monies to in any way forcibly expel the co-owner of the property Tom Pine- a productive, law-abiding citizen- and his business (Race Office Supply) from his property- this is a free country and the price of something is what the interested buyer and seller freely AGREE to and using public resources to pressure and basically extort one side to enrich the other is barbaric and unacceptable;
-NO! You do NOT want them using YOUR taxpayer monies to in any way execute an eminent domain proceeding to seize the property from Pine and the widow against their will and hand it over to another private party (Ciminelli)- again, this is a free country and we just got rid of the Taliban and the Baathists you do NOT tolerate such tyranny, theft, and extortion with YOUR taxmoney here;
-NO! You do NOT want them using YOUR taxpayer monies to "sell" the woman's ownership interest without any compensation to her- this is the land of the free NOT the land of the thieves, US citizens are NOT entitled to being embezzled- INCLUDING widows.
-NO! You do NOT want them using YOUR taxpayer monies to fund kickbacks of ANY kind- we are NOT interested in having local officials practice Taliban and Baathist economics.
Let's make this happen.
Draw the line. Protect Pine!
No Means NO! And let the bums know.
Alan J. Cohen Phone: (607)274-6501 Email: mayor@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Paulette Manos Phone: (607) 273-4170 Email: paulettem@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Susan Blumenthal Phone: (607) 272-3931 Email: susanb@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Patricia Pryor Phone: (607) 273-1741 Email: patp@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member David Whitmore Phone: (607) 273-1254 Email: davidw@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Diann Sams Phone: (607) 277-8188 Email: dianns@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Patricia Vaughan Phone: (607) 273-3870 Email: patv@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Carolyn Peterson Phone: (607) 272-8129 Email: carolynp@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Peter Mack Phone: (607) 253-7070 Email: peterm@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Daniel Cogan Phone: (607) 273-2076 Email: dcogan@cityofithaca.org
Ithaca Common Council Member Edward Hershey Phone: (607) 272-0590 Email: enh2@cornell.edu
Barbara Blanchard (D) Telephone: 607-277-1374 e-mail: bb35@cornell.edu
Leslyn McBean (D) Telephone: 607-277-5104 Email: leslyn@lightlink.com
Richard S. Booth(D) Telephone: 607-272-6573 e-mail: rsb6@cornell.edu
Nancy Schuler (D) Telephone: 607-272-7298 Email: nschuler@twcny.rr.com
Kathy Luz Herrera (D) Telephone: 607-273-8169 E-mail: klh7@cornell.edu
Thomas Todd (R) Telephone: 607-533-7350
Frank P. Proto (R) Telephone: 607-277-4875
Daniel M. Winch (R) Telephone: 607-564-7813 e-mail: dmw3@cornell.edu fax: 607-274-5430
George Totman (R) Telephone: 607-838-3444
Dooley Kiefer (D) Telephone: 607-257-7453
Michael Koplinka-Loehr (D) Telephone: 607-257-2329 e-mail: mak11@cornell.edu
Tim Joseph (D) Telephone: 607-277-2519 E-mail: joseph@tompkins-co.org
Martha Robertson (D) Telephone: 607-272-0584 E-mail: mrob@twcny.rr.com
Michael Lane (D) Telephone: 607-844-8313
Peter Penniman (D) Telephone: 607-387-5897 E-mail: pwp2@cornell.edu
Tax exempt deals are commonplace in attracting a broader industrial or retail employment base, which in turn will bring expanded small business potential, new single family and multiple housing development, greater police and fire protection, and further expansion of public education and library services.
If someone was squeezed out of land deal, there are civil remedies in place to make right a wrong done to him or her.
Since when is it a criminal act to entice property development. Sounds to me the City Council of Ihtaca is doing all the right things to ensure a strong future tax base for the city's population.
Where's the beef?
Interestingly, New York State/City is doing the same thing on Eighth Avenue here in Manhattan. Only instead of a non-profit like Cornell as lead tenant for the proposed tower, the occupant and owner of the new structure would be a very large quasi-monopoly private firm whose ownership evaded estate taxes. I am referring of course to the New York Times.
I think that it may have to do with some quaint old notion about equality under the law or something...JFK
For all its talk of being "enlightened" Ithaca is really just an insular factory town where everyone bows and scrapes to the big boss up on the hill.
And, trust me, if their "masters" weren't pushing for this, the Ithaca liberals who protested every single other bit of development in Ithaca over the last ten years, would be lying down in the street to stop this.
So, if nothing else, Ithaca is STILL the City of Evil.
So an appraiser comes in and values you home at 100 dollars. Your appraiser comes in and appraises you home at 200 dollars. You negotiate it out, or waste money on a lawyer to get you 200 in court. By the time it's over you end up with less than 100 dollars. Equity is a tool of the legal profession to wedge themselves between you and your money. The joke is on you.
Tonight, THUR, Apr 10th, 2003 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. EST / 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. PST
Aziz Al-Taee
Chairman of the Iraqi-American Council
www.IraqiAmericans.com
and the Unspun Debut of The Chamber-made Brigade's latest single
"Who's Next?"
ALSO... CRBs and Bone-Headed Lie-Beral Quotes ('cause you just can't make this stuff up...)
All this, plus your calls (and possibly more)
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Call in! 1-866-RadioFR!
Here in Washington State, we have the Business and Occupation Tax. Basically, if you have a business that is in the state, you have to pay a tax. Mind you, this isnt property tax, or sales tax, this is just a tax on you because you have decided to become self-employed. But you see, not everyone has to pay it. There are no hard fast and fair rules on whether any given business pays it or not. Boeing, for instance, does not pay it. Farmers, on the other hand, pay in full. Why? Good question, and one that our lawmakers have no answer to, unless a wink and a nudge and maybe a swift kick under the table qualify. I also paid this tax in full. Some animals are more equal than others, and apparently this just fine with you. Some people who wrote up our system of government a couple hundred years ago didnt find this style of system fair. I am with them.
If Ithaca (or Washington State, for that matter) wants to attract businesses, why dont they give these kind of breaks to EVERYONE? That way, local people could become more successful, instead of some outsiders coming in and taking the money away. But no, the big government types dont like to give up any of other peoples money, no matter how small the amount. What I was referring to was 'equal treatment under the law', a concept that some people believe does not apply to them. And these pukes in Ithaca are encouraging unequal treatment, and doing their own citizens a disservice in the process. But I doubt that they will lose any sleep over it...JFK
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