Great post. Raises some excelent points.

I'm confused, though, by what this sentence means:

"a typical office property has a profit of about 55 cents/dollar of tax; a multiunit dwelling about 10 cents; and a single family household costs 25 cents for every dollar collected."

Profit and cost to whom? I think I understand the overall point of your post, but I'm just confused by what these specific calculations mean.
Reid | 11.30.07 - 10:13 am | #

Hey, Richard -- I linked this post over at my blog. Great post!
Nicki | Homepage | 11.30.07 - 10:55 am | #

That the cost of serving a single family is $1.25/$1 of tax revenue from that household; .90/$1 of tax revenue for a multiunit dwelling; etc.
Richard Layman | Homepage | 11.30.07 - 11:34 am | #

Oh, and Nicki, I didn't realize you were still reading. Thanks. I'll check in.
Richard Layman | Homepage | 11.30.07 - 11:34 am | #

In the original post I forgot a couple things also done on H Street, the two office buildings as well as the H Street bridge over the railyard.
Richard Layman | Homepage | 11.30.07 - 11:37 am | #

One could argue that by comparison other neighborhoods in the city where "historic preservation" was the implemented plan (with the exception of Anacostia) improved more successfuly.
I could argue that the areas I'm thinking of were also more economically stable, more middle and upper class. LeDroit might be thrown in the same basket as Anacostia, as it has not met it's full potential.
Mari | Homepage | 11.30.07 - 12:04 pm | #

Absolutely. Le Droit park had some issues though. HU owned and sat on a lot of property for a long time, but finally it got rehabbed with the assistance of a lot of money from Fannie Mae Foundation.
Richard Layman | Homepage | 11.30.07 - 12:21 pm | #

In regards to the student video that I can't see because you have the wrong link, I'm curious as to what it could possibly be about.

A film "about the neglect of neighborhoods and the impact of "gentrification" on Columbia Heights". It seems the film is about the problems of neglected neighborhoods and revitalizing neighborhoods? What possibly could be the proper solution then?
Chris | 11.30.07 - 2:53 pm | #

I'll fix it right now, but it wasn't hard to find... searching with columbia heights gentrification
Richard Layman | Homepage | 11.30.07 - 3:13 pm | #

R-Who prepared the "study" for the Downtown BID? Is there a way to obtain a copy of it to see what it is that they're really selling here?
Elizabeth Elliott | 12.03.07 - 2:05 pm | #