The Metropole is an apartment building on Walnut Street in Cincinnati. This historic 11-story structure is the home of over 200 people - most of them members of the working poor. Many of them are elderly or disabled.
But affordable housing doesn't sit well with the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation. CCCDC (or 3CDC, as it calls itself) is a secret society of corporate powers that has taken control of many downtown landmarks. CCCDC is the crew of right-wing autocrats who tried to ban an antiwar protest on Fountain Square and wasted zillions of dollars on an unnecessary reconstruction of this public space. After this reconstruction, Fountain Square was less accessible to the handicapped.
Because 3CDC hates the poor, it has purchased the Metropole and plans to convert it from a low-income apartment building into a luxury hotel - for rich people only. This at a time when America's housing crisis is the worst it's ever been.
And get this: CCCDC is asking for millions of dollars in municipal and federal tax money to help it pay for this conversion! In other words, CCCDC wants people to be forced out of their homes using their tax dollars.
Metropole residents must refuse and resist. If this happened to me, CCCDC would need a body bag to get me out.
If CCCDC gets away with converting the Metropole into a luxury hotel, it is my sincerest hope that the building subsequently becomes infested with bedbugs the size of silver dollars.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The luxury hotel that stole affordable housing
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The Metropole was originally built as a "Luxury Hotel" not a "low income apartment building".
ReplyDeleteThe tenants are being relocated, at great expense, not something a private developer would have to do. These people will wind up in much better housing situations than in the Metropole which was run down, and had numerous police runs over the years for drugs and prostitution. People deserve a clean decent place to live and now they will get it.
Never mind the Millions of dollars in Construction jobs and the Hospitality Industry jobs created by this.
It is all this "politically correct' whining , that has held this city back.
The Metropole is being restored to what it once was a "Luxury Hotel" and the city and the tenants of the Metropole who will be in better housing situations are better off for it!
The usual B.S.
ReplyDeleteThe Metropole has been a low-income apartment building since 1971. It doesn't matter if it was a luxury hotel before then. It's low-income now, and that's really what matters.
For someone to accuse my side of "politically correct whining" really shows their true agenda. This is the same excuse the other side has been using for 20 years.
Instead of more low-paying service jobs, why don't we try bringing back manufacturing jobs?
Also, the tenants weren't even asked whether they thought they'd be better off because of the move. 3CDC is making decisions for them.
Have you ever visited anyone at the Metropole?
ReplyDeleteDo you know what kind of conditions they live in?
You should be ashamed of yourself. The power of free speach does not give you the right to create anger and distrust upon a company that actually has duel agendas.
1. To save a city from disappearing out of the memories of every man woman and child in America.
Do you even know the great history of Cincinnati?
The immagrants that worked and broke they're backs to build what was once one of the greatest cities in the U.S.
2. 3CDC has been taking steps to ensure that no one is left behind. They are relocating these people to better housing and with cleaner living conditions. Why don't you go live at the Metropole for a week and see what a slum it is.
What you propose is that we allow Cincinnati to totally fall apart. SAVE CINCINNATI FROM THE RICH. LEAVE THE POOR ALONE.
What you suggest is the worst sort of hypocrtical BS there is. Surival of the fittest. What help are you offering these poor people? Why don't you suggest a better way to help them instead of stirring a pot that really doesn't need to be stirred.
The rebuilding of a City is not an easy task. Get on board offer some help. Give some suggestions on how to make peoples lives better. Don't point out the negatives of every situation without a suggestion on how to make them into positive.
What will to happen to this City if it wasn't for 3CDC? Nothing if would wither and die, disappear.
'Manufacturing jobs'? Pure Fantasy, not going to happen, those days are over! Green jobs? Our workforce is largely under-educated to handle those jobs.
ReplyDeleteHospitality jobs by the way, often pay betweeen 10-15.00, sometimes 20.00 an hour. Those are REAL JOBS for real people. Maybe some of the 1 in 7 currently on food stamps in Hamilton County will be able to get a job there and be able to support themselves, and have real self respect, and provide for their families. I suppose that staying on welfare is better than making "only" 10-20 dollars in those "low paying" service jobs?
I didn't see you, or any other of the well paid "homeless advocates" complaining about the deplorable conditions at the Metropole for all these years.All these 'advocates" want is to keep the poor down so they can get more federal grant money and keep their own generous salaries going. They do not 'care' about what happens to these residents, just their governemnt funded "money train". WHICH if the poor can get jobs and get off assistance means and end to their own high paying jobs!
Just because the Metropole was allowed to deteriorate into decay does not mean the "poor" are entitled to it, they do not "own it' and as tenants really do not have any "rights" about what is done to it. EVERYONE should be glad that they are getting relocation, that usually does not happen. You "might' try some time living in the "real world"?
Perhaps if you looked at the situation for what it is, you would realize that it benefits the Metropole residents.
Wow, $10/hour. I can't feed my cat on $10/hour.
ReplyDeleteIf manufacturing jobs are over, America is over.
The poor are entitled to stay in the Metropole, because that's why they paid rent all those years...genius.