Collison spouted off about the Crossroads....
DEVELOPMENT: Crossroads, not skyscrapers, indicates a vital downtown
By KEVIN COLLISON
Columnist
Years ago, when my fascination with cities began, I rated them by their skyline.
The first glimpse of a cluster of skyscrapers rising from downtown -- be it Minneapolis, Denver or Kansas City, and later in life, Manhattan -- was thrilling.
I've never lost that excitement -- my small town roots run deep -- but I've become more discriminating as I've gotten older.
Now I judge a dynamic city more by what's happening on its streets -- unique shops, architecture, pedestrian life, etc. -- as opposed to its vertical grandeur alone.
Which leads me to the artists of Crossroads and the 38 galleries there.
Fast-rising property taxes triggered by the area's resurgence are squeezing the artists' ability to stay. For example, Jim Leedy, a pioneering artist and gallery owner in the district, had his taxes more than triple this year.
It ain't right, especially when the value of the artists' properties are being compared unfairly to redeveloped buildings benefiting from tax breaks. Talk about a world being turned upside down.
Downtown needs to preserve the eclectic energy the artists bring to that district of old buildings. Something to draw in people that they can't find in suburban malls and other bland venues.
Thousands of people show up on the first Fridays of each month to visit the galleries, have a glass of wine or beer, and mingle on the sidewalks and streets of Crossroads.
It's one of the best examples of street life going in downtown, and it's attracting more investment and activity. It should be nurtured, not suffocated.
One suggestion offered by a national expert is that artists who already own buildings in the Crossroads should have their property taxes frozen as long as they continue to use their property for art-related purposes.
There may be other solutions as well: helping artists establish nonprofit status for the buildings or encouraging private benefactors to assist keeping them in place.
In Baltimore, a new district assures that artists who own buildings will be immune from assessment increases for 10 years. They also qualify for income tax breaks.
At a minimum, Jackson County officials would be wise to hold property tax assessments at 2002 levels and place a moratorium on further increases until a long-range solution can be worked out.
At the same time the artists ironically are being walloped by taxes, the city is offering a carrot of tax breaks to help an out-of-town developer create an entertainment district a few blocks away in the South Loop.
Given a choice between visiting a Hard Rock Cafe or touring a diverse bunch of art galleries on a pleasant Friday night, I know where I'd be.
But it's not an either/or situation.
Downtown needs an entertainment district in the South Loop that will appeal to visitors and conventioneers. It needs to help developers convert empty outdated buildings into new residences and businesses.
It needs the new jobs and added prestige that H&R Block and Waddell & Reed could bring. It needs a new arena, a performing arts center and a ballpark.
But at the same time, it also needs to support the artists of Crossroads. They help make it someplace different, someplace urban and vital. Someplace unpredictable.
A bunch of tall buildings, as powerful an urban image as they are, doesn't equal a healthy downtown. What's happening below is the real measure of vitality.
I realize the importance of arts in the community, but if you make exceptions and exclusions for artists, who draws the line? If musicians come together and create a music district...should the taxes be frozen there too? Or if writers create a literary district...shouldn't they be exempt too? There isn't an easy answer...maybe it should be put to a vote.
