Mayor Charles Meeker denied developer John Kane on Thursday by sending a memo to city council opposing potential plans to provide the developer with $75 million in public financing for a planned project.
“By my count, we have over 20 projects in various stages of development that involve structured parking,“ he wrote. “It would be improper, and indeed inequitable, to provide free parking to one builder of a development with structured parking while all of the other builders are expected to pay for their own parking decks.“
The funds would create a parking deck at Kane’s North Hills East project – an $800 million mixed-use area including retail stores, offices, residences and a retirement community that would site along the Interstate 440 Beltline at Six Forks Road.
In statments in July Mayor Meeker said:
“Any action the city takes is a precedent. Should there be a massive subsidy for one project, all of the other developers will ask for subsidies for their project. It makes no sense at all to the average citizen,“ and “given the value of the residential units and the retail space in that area, why can’t the parking be paid for privately as has been done in the past.“
Thank you Mayor Meeker for keeping the public funds available to projects that can benefit the greater communal interests of Raleigh citizens.
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