http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10174/1067462-437.stm

I'm not an organic food munching hippie, but the "buy locally" mantra of the slow food movement just makes a lot of practical sense.
A giant greenhouse in the middle of a city is a great idea IMO.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

plus there is all sorts of quantitative and qualitative data explaining the benefits of having green spaces in a city.

I like it. Nothing not to like about it.

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mechaphil

first.

That is a great idea, something that would get real green people thinking and would set a great precedent that hey, that building is empty, why not make it green instead of wasting resources tearing it down?

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

it will cost more money to build that, then to tear it down and start over. this plan, sadly, never sees the light of day.

but a great idea.

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it's being suggested by a private firm as a for profit business.
Why wouldn't it get private funding assuming the business plan / model worked out?

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Hold my beer and watch this...

First of all, I found these comment a little peculiar!



I do not have low self-esteem, most of the time.

Secondly, the ROOF DOESN'T WORK. Why do you think it hasn't been retracted open for like 30 years? Because they are afraid it will collapse the whole building! To make this plan work you basically would have to spend millions and millions of tax payers money and after what we have been through just to get a new arena I don't think that's going to go over well with the public.

Don't get me wrong, I too fantasize about my little Burgh becoming a world wide leader in the green movement! Once the most polluted city in history (it literally rained ash from the mills 24/7) why not turn out murky greenish/brown mucky rivers into clear crystal blue water with nymphomaniac lesbian mermaids giving out free hand jobs too all of the homeless that go ignored outside of our glowing yellow green house of love. But it's just that, a fantasy.

Next idea please....

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

Once again....this was suggested by a private firm as a for-profit business.
It's says right there in the article; "Self Funded"
No one is suggesting using tax dollars for anything.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Even if it did cost tax payer money, I think it's sad that people would be willing to take out a bond measure to fund a new stadium for a freaking sports team, but not for a greenhouse to produce FOOD.

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mechaphil

why wouldnt it? i dont know. but 9/10 times, a good idea doesnt get the funding within the window they are given, and it goes by the wayside. no way someone steps in and fronts the money for this, this isnt a 20,000,000 dollar project, this is halfway to a billion, if not more. without public money, no effing way.

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Mike, you're missing the point - this corporation already said they're paying for it out of pocket because it's going to be a business and not a non-profit city venture.

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mechaphil

they still would have to secure the loan. this isnt a business with X amount of dollars sitting in an account.

i really just think this is nothing more then a pipe dream.

ive seen plans, with funding secured, tax brackets (brownfield tax credits) city zoning commission file and sign all necessary paperwork, and ordinances cleared fall at the 0 hour in grand rapids. it happens all the damn time, sadly.

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Plenty of business without millions of dollars laying around get financing all the time.

If the idea is sound, and the business plan is sound, they'll get funding.

but how much is the question? this isnt a book store, this is a major major project.

we will see, but i dont know.

couldnt, in theory, they just level the place and return it to farm land, like they are doing in detroit? for a fraction at the cost?

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That land in the middle of the city would be far to valuable to just turn into farm land (plus, what are we talking here...10 acres?).
Something would have to be put there that would at least offset that cost.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Could be leveled, sure. Might be more expensive that re purposing, tough to tell.

There's equal pushes to demo it, and to keep it as a historic building too. Who knows what way they'll go.

great point. this isnt former residential zoning on the outskirts. its on the edge of downtown that would command top dollar. good call!

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Just blow the dam thing up, as many said it would cost more to build something else in it.

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just call me Brad

Twitter @BUrbanowicz13

Indeed it does, and I don't believe everything I read. Tell you what, before anything else is done to enhance our city, how about I see some property tax relief? Just FIVE BUCKS worth of it, a penny. I just want to see something that was promised us over the past 25 years actually come to fruition, then we can talk about some future stuff.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger