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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Urbana Tax Base Erosion report |
Current rating: 0 |
by reporter
(No verified email address) |
04 Mar 2002
Modified: 23 Mar 2002 |
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tax base erosion report |
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goto Urbana City Webpage and click on Tax Base Erosion on the left-hand side for the report and please comment below if you want... |
See also:
http://www.city.urbana.il.us/
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We need tolls on Lincoln Avenue to make up tax base erosion shortfall |
by George Carlisle
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
23 Mar 2002
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The University of Illinis has purchased many properties in northwest Urbana for the new Computer Center, a proposed parking deck, and other expansion of the University of Illinois campus. This has taken these properties off the Urbana tax rolls. The erosion of the tax base could become serious, particularly if we are unable to attract major retailers, in the wake of the closing of the Urbana Bergner's store.
We need to find ways to collect impact fees from the many automobiles that are coming in the area. The traffic on Lincoln Avenue has increased drastically in recent years. It will only become a lot worse when the Chicago Bears play home games in Memorial Stadium this fall.
There are times when I wait for a light to change on an east-west street, such as Green or Illinois or Springfield, and the cars on Lincoln Avenue seem to be almost as dense as in the major metropolitan areas.
We nend to find ways to collect tolls from these cars, at least during times of excessive traffic, such asfor football and basketball game traffic, and when the University semesters begin and end, and at beginning and end of semester breaks.
They did finally install a traffic light at Lincoln and Illinois Streets. I use that intersection a lot to got to Krannert Center and Wesley Church. However, some other intersections, as Lincoln and Nevada and Lincoln and Pennsylvania, need signals.
If we could levy a fee for some of the heavy traffic, perhaps at least some of them would find alternate ways. We need for frequent Mass Transit service along that corridor. There is much less service north of the campus, and even an express servce along south Lincoln to Windsor Road would be helpful. We need shuttle buses to the stadium for football games, what with parking so difficult and at such a distance from the stadium.
Another possible improvement of tax base would be to build private housing in the space off Race and Florida vacated when the former faculty-staff housing units, operated by the University, were razed. Two dead-end streets, Carle and Bliss drive, end in a cul-de-sac with not one building left. There has been talk or selling the Orchard Downs area to a private developer, who would likely raze the existing aging structures and build new ones, thereby increasing the property values.
Some of the older dilapidated housing needs to be repalced. An extremely dilapidated house at the corner of griggs and Wood Street has a condemnation nostice posted thereon. The property owner was supposed to ahve razed the structure by January 15, 2002. The existing buildings are a hazard and eyesore. Overgrown trees even block the sidewalk in front to the property. That might be a good location for a Habitat for Humanity home to be built. Those return properties to higher tax bases than the dilapidated structures formerly at those locations.
If the University Avenue Interchange of I-74 were modified so that it provides a connection to the east at High Cross road, similar to what was done at the Bowman Avenue interchange in Danville, we could have more industrial development in that area. That would also make it easier to access the new Post Office from the Interstate.
The property tax incentive to "Build Urbana" is a good thing, but more needs to be done to develop more tax base for Urbana, to compensate for property taken over by the University of Illinois for expansion. |
