Councilmember David NewmanThank you to everyone in the full-house crowd and online who took part in last night's City Council vote on the Downtown Plan. Whether you approve, disapprove, or have mixed feelings, I appreciate that so many of you spoke up last night, and in discussions ahead of the vote.
Despite some concerns, I joined in the unanimous approval because this project addresses several long-term unmet needs: housing for different income levels, a public gathering place, additional arts and cultural programming outlets, and funding for schools, parks, and local services at a time when other financial resources are tight.
When it became clear that the Downtown Plan would easily pass, I focused on what I could do to improve the project. To that end, I proposed two amendments to shape the upcoming RFP process. I'm grateful my colleagues unanimously agreed to direct staff to use this guidance when soliciting developer proposals:
1. Get options for condominiums, not just apartments. For example, the four-story mixed-use building on TO Boulevard could be condos, while the seven-story building behind it remains apartments. This would provide residents with pathways to build equity.
2. Get options for long-term ground leases, not just fee-simple land sales. This is public land, and I strongly favor keeping it in public hands. Privatization would transfer away from the public and toward the already wealthy. If we are doing public-benefit projects, we must do everything possible to maximize that public benefit.
Last but not least, I want to thank Akbar Alikhan, Krystin Rice, and the entire city team who worked with architects and met with thousands of residents. The team consistently made a good-faith effort to meet people where they were, helping shape a better project in the process.
AI6YR Ben
