Springfield Derelict Buildings

[Anonymous]

The corner of Old Keene Mill and Backlick Roads is a mess. On the west side are two abandoned buildings long neglected by their owner, a DC-based LLC. On the east side are a cluster of now vacant commercial buildings bought by a developer (Schupp) that promised a new hotel five years ago, but appears incapable of delivering.

These properties just sit and rot more and more each day. It’s past time for the county to tell these owners to get off their butts and do something. Redevelop them. Demolish them. Sell them to someone else who’s more willing and/or competent to revitalize them. The Springfield CBD has made some positive strides recently and it’s on a good path for future growth. Inaction around these eyesores is inexcusable.

[Anonymous]

Until the county has powerful enough stick (be it taxes on derelict buildings or taxes on unoccupied buildings), there is no incentive to build until demand is there.

[Anonymous]

I thought I read somewhere that the company that owns those blighted buildings has a reputation of not developing anything until they’re 110% sure it can be profitable. So they’ve been sitting on the buildings and land for many years as a result.

[Anonymous]

Fits springfield though.

[Anonymous]

Construction costs have soared.

[Anonymous]

There was a car repair shop on that corner that had a silver gull wing door 60s Mercedes that sat in their lot.
I always thought about asking the owner if they wanted to sell it.
It looked restorable and probably would be worth a small fortune now.

[Anonymous]

I’d think this intersection will need to be a cloverleaf in the near future, so they are waiting for eminent domain and fair market value buy out funds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d think this intersection will need to be a cloverleaf in the near future, so they are waiting for eminent domain and fair market value buy out funds.

I don't think they are going to overhaul the interchange any time soon. Nor do I see a need for acloverleaf there. They spent a huge amount of effort (and concrete) building the current mixing bowl. They aren't going to mess with that now.

I wonder when they'll finish the Long John Silver's parking garage though. They're in no rush, probably because people aren't slugging anymore. But maybe they'll start again when RTO is required and the garage is finished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The corner of Old Keene Mill and Backlick Roads is a mess. On the west side are two abandoned buildings long neglected by their owner, a DC-based LLC. On the east side are a cluster of now vacant commercial buildings bought by a developer (Schupp) that promised a new hotel five years ago, but appears incapable of delivering.

These properties just sit and rot more and more each day. It’s past time for the county to tell these owners to get off their butts and do something. Redevelop them. Demolish them. Sell them to someone else who’s more willing and/or competent to revitalize them. The Springfield CBD has made some positive strides recently and it’s on a good path for future growth. Inaction around these eyesores is inexcusable.

Which power is the county supposed to use to do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The corner of Old Keene Mill and Backlick Roads is a mess. On the west side are two abandoned buildings long neglected by their owner, a DC-based LLC. On the east side are a cluster of now vacant commercial buildings bought by a developer (Schupp) that promised a new hotel five years ago, but appears incapable of delivering.

These properties just sit and rot more and more each day. It’s past time for the county to tell these owners to get off their butts and do something. Redevelop them. Demolish them. Sell them to someone else who’s more willing and/or competent to revitalize them. The Springfield CBD has made some positive strides recently and it’s on a good path for future growth. Inaction around these eyesores is inexcusable.

Which power is the county supposed to use to do this?

Taxation? That how cities with blight make incentivize developers to do something with land - if an unoccupied parcel is taxed at 5x the rate of an occupied parcel, suddenly sitting on land is no longer a good investment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The corner of Old Keene Mill and Backlick Roads is a mess. On the west side are two abandoned buildings long neglected by their owner, a DC-based LLC. On the east side are a cluster of now vacant commercial buildings bought by a developer (Schupp) that promised a new hotel five years ago, but appears incapable of delivering.

These properties just sit and rot more and more each day. It’s past time for the county to tell these owners to get off their butts and do something. Redevelop them. Demolish them. Sell them to someone else who’s more willing and/or competent to revitalize them. The Springfield CBD has made some positive strides recently and it’s on a good path for future growth. Inaction around these eyesores is inexcusable.

Which power is the county supposed to use to do this?

Taxation? That how cities with blight make incentivize developers to do something with land - if an unoccupied parcel is taxed at 5x the rate of an occupied parcel, suddenly sitting on land is no longer a good investment

Could you provide two examples of cities in the US that actually do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fits springfield though.

This isn’t the 90s anymore. Springfield turned that corner years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The corner of Old Keene Mill and Backlick Roads is a mess. On the west side are two abandoned buildings long neglected by their owner, a DC-based LLC. On the east side are a cluster of now vacant commercial buildings bought by a developer (Schupp) that promised a new hotel five years ago, but appears incapable of delivering.

These properties just sit and rot more and more each day. It’s past time for the county to tell these owners to get off their butts and do something. Redevelop them. Demolish them. Sell them to someone else who’s more willing and/or competent to revitalize them. The Springfield CBD has made some positive strides recently and it’s on a good path for future growth. Inaction around these eyesores is inexcusable.

Which power is the county supposed to use to do this?

Taxation? That how cities with blight make incentivize developers to do something with land - if an unoccupied parcel is taxed at 5x the rate of an occupied parcel, suddenly sitting on land is no longer a good investment

Could you provide two examples of cities in the US that actually do this?

DP. It's called a land value tax. Harrisburg and Pittsburgh have employed it to great success - Pittsburgh in particular. Taxing improvements at a much lower rate than the land itself, resulting in fewer surface parking lots and dilapidated buildings, less speculation, and more productive uses of valuable land. Detroit is in the process of implementing a land value tax, which will likely do wonders for its turnaround.