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Message: [QUOTE="FrancoPizza, post: 2976349, member: 5195"] If some developer wants to build something, then they should be able to come forward with specific plans and contractual agreements that they will follow through. To date, all we hear is talk and that's not good enough to serve as a basis for such a huge decision. Congel was villified because all he did was talk about pretty renderings without specific agreements in place. Well guess what? All we're seeing now are pretty renderings of giant maple trees and no developer has come forward to say I will build X, Y, and Z if the highway comes down. The other issue is any land that opens up is going to be a narrow stretch on both sides of the boulevard. You can't really put anything there bigger than a Dunkin Donuts. If they really want to raise the land value in that area, then yes take the highway down, but then the following needs to happen (some of which is already proposed by the Mayor's office): [LIST=1] [*]Raze the public housing in the blocks adjacent to the highway (proposed) [*]Build 1 or 2 20-story, low-rent apartments and condos set several hundred yards back from the boulevard to replace the dilapidated public housing. By going vertical, dozens of acres can be freed up for development by SU, Lex Luthor Inc., and the hospitals who are always looking for more land. [*]Add some greenspace adjacent to the towers to soften the property and provide some separation between the subsidized and non-subsidized development. [*]Provide new billboard advertising at a discounted rate along the 481 stretch that would take traffic away from destiny, crowne plaza, maplewood suites, and any other business that can make a legitimate claim to be affected by reduced traffic volumes. [/LIST] If this happened I would be in 100% support of the grid even with the added commute times. I don't want to hear any complaints about apartment towers being an unfair option for those who are on public assistance. The mayor's plan to provide new single-story housing at taxpayer expense does nothing to encourage the affected residents to get off public assistance, which should be the goal and carry penaties for not meeting deadlines and showing any effort to find work. It's also the biggest joke around that SU professors and neurosurgeons are going to CHOOSE to live next to those who are paying less rent than they are, while pretending that crime and drug issues will suddenly go away. Might as well name that development Unicorn Heights. Jesus H Christ I feel like I need to run for Mayor in the next election cycle to save this town. [/QUOTE]

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