Oak Street Apartments (Re: Graffitti)

[Ivana Olson]

I don't remember who owned the south side last year when I was looking them 
up, but now most of them are owned by residents of California. The entire 
north side of Oak street is owned by one local man (the same guy why owned 
them last year, I seem to recall) and all but Jody's property and a couple 
other parcels are owned by various Califoria residents.

Now it makes more sense to me that the south side is run down, because the 
owners of the properties aren't here to see what they look like and make 
changes. I agree that the only way to make a positive change is to improve 
the properties and then charge more for rent.

Although if the art district idea can be made possible, by all means I'll 
support it however I can.

-Ivana

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Jo Clute" <josepi at doitnow.com>
Reply-To: central-city-discuss at gcna.info
To: <central-city-discuss at gcna.info>
Subject: Re: Graffitti
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:34:30 -0700

sue them?!!!!   Andrea, how bout you just go and talk with them?  They all
want change, I HAVE talked with them (most of them).  But they also don't
want to run a
losing business.  there are factors at work in this location that we may be
unaware of.  the WHOLE section needs to change not just one of those places.
EVERYTHING needs to change-the entire culture.  Its going to take work.  We
tried neighborhood services.  We tried calling the police.  We tried
rehabbing the places.  But if you just do a little here and there its NOT
going to stick.   I have been working on a solution for over a year.  I KNOW
there is a way and suing them isn't going to change anything.  Its just
going to make it more difficult on all of us.  If we take the effort that we
would have to FIGHT them and use it to talk with them and help them, we can
can alter this area permanently.  My solution is to get ASU in there to help
me build something marvelous.  This will make this area "popular" and in
turn attract a different clientelle.  The owner on the North Side already
said he would give artsits/students free rent. But if I was a student, you
couldn't pay me enough to live there in preset day conditions The owners
want this changed too.
Why do we always have to fight our neighbor when there is  a problem, I
don't get that attitude.  It mistifys me.  That is contra-neighborhood in my
opinion.  I stopped myself from building those same things.  I could have
already done it and contributed to the problem.  But I didn't.  And now I
have positive solutions which are possible but heading straight to a public
hearing to condemn your neighbor or straight to the courts to condemn your
neighbor with out using diplomacy first to find a win/win solution is just
rediculous politics.  I don't know if my solution will be implemented but
its in their hands and they are writing a proposal as we speak.

I really do envision a colorful, landscaped, pet friendly area full of
artistic culture that we can all enjoy.  Most of those buildings are sound
brick structures and can be beautified with paint and people.   Its going to
take a lot of work and I have taken a lot of approaches and one of them is
eventually going to work.  But the bottom line is that those investors do
not want this anymore than we do.

  These owners are not making money (the owner on the North Maybe) they
barely break even.  Everytime a tenant leaves so does the carpet, the
appliances, and most of the windows, Sometimes this is more profitable then
having them sit vacant.  Also, I know a few of the owners tried to sell
their buildings and couldn't because of how messed up they are.  A few of
the owners are very "green" and didn't know what they got themselves into
it.  Some are out of state.  How do I know all of this?  Because last year,
I spent 10 hours searching for each and every owner, calling them, leaving
messages, and finally getting a hold of them.  There are some complexities
that we don't have a handle on.  But either way, it needs to change.

Suing is NOT the answer.  Calling the police over and over might make little
changes but the minute someone lets up it will happen right over again.  I
have even been cited for them parking on my lot...This area is a big problem
and its going to take a big solution.

ASU will be excited to hear that everyone will back their efforts.  I hope
this is the case

J