Sun 15 Aug 2010
A Busier Week: University Square Meeting, Aug. 18th
Posted by WillR under ChapelHill , Downtown , EconomicDevelopment , environment , LocalPolitics , OrangeCounty , sustainability , Transportation[3] Comments
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Yes, this is the *real* reason that the men’s shelter is moving and has free land to go to.
Nothing like a UNC project with a $46M initial price tag and probably a $100-200M investment to motivate the shelter move.
There are a lot of interested Downtown commercial and institutional entities – UNC being dominant in both domains – that welcome the move. Of course, one of the pivotal players has been the town’s biggest local developer – and a major power at UNC.
Unfortunately none of the local media has been willing to look into this back=story. While it might not add a lot to the shelter story, such reportage would be invaluable in giving local folks a handle on how power behind the scenes is wielded – for what purposes it is applied.
Mark Schultz briefed CHN’s new reporter Katelyn Ferral on the backstory when I met with them a few weeks ago, so he is fully aware of these interests and motivations.
Perhaps CHN is afraid of UNC or local elected officials (from an income or access POV) and would rather write about letters from Morganton and snakeskins than the powers that broker the backroom deals.
CHN has yet to write a decent story on the organized opposition to the current shelter site.