http://framingham.wickedlocal.com/article/20151007/NEWS/151006465
Interestingly, a small town/city with big city tactics. Attempting to acquire
money for the alleged purpose of revitalization, claiming to bring businesses
into Framingham, boost downtown commerce and quality. (This of course suggests
that downtown NEEDS to be 'boosted' in quality.) Earlier posts focus attention
on the people who live there. But that there is an effort to acquire money to
improve the appearance downtown, entitled Downtown Renaissance so as to draw
high-end, upper middle class businesses, entrepreneurs and families. (Thus my
concern regarding gentrification.)
Based on the present population in the downtown area, the proximity within the
high-crime 1-mile radius of the police station, upwardly mobile
businesses/businessmen, upper middle class families are likely not to cast
their gaze toward Framingham's downtown area.... thus the boondoggle. So who
are the residents? Largely illegal 'newcomers'. And what's really going on?
So, KNOWING this, maybe this colossal acquisition of money for such a 'face
lift' may not actually be the intent or worse, is the intent for nefarious
reasons.
In doing some homework, I've learned that the company/individual (VTT) who
purchased the apartment building rents out to lower income individuals, section
8, government-subsidized, which appear to be largely (likely illegal)
"newcomers". As far as I can see.... So when he bought it, he needed an $80
million loan to renovate. Apparently failing to acquire the loan .... well,
now there is this massive effort to acquire money for a face lift of the area,
including his building.... on other money or grant of some kind. (Why would
the federal government be involved in providing money to this person who owns
this property, when it is thought to be a yuppie haven when the real issue here
is that the only reason the fed gets involved is subsidizing low-income
people.... they don't subsidize YUPPEYVILLES!) And his company is
coincidentally called VTT Framingham Renaissance of the very area targeted for
renovation (like the name of the revitalization program).
128-86-8587-000
101 CONCORD ST
VTT FRAMINGHAM RENAISSANCE, LLC
Value - $420,800
Sale Date - 2/10/2012
Sale Price - $400,000
128-86-8587-007
107 CONCORD ST
VTT FRAMINGHAM RENAISSANCE, LLC
Value - $616,600
Sale Date - 1/18/2011
Sale Price - $2,500,000
128-86-8587-009
109 CONCORD ST
VTT FRAMINGHAM RENAISSANCE, LLC
$761,900
Sale Date - 1/18/2011
Sale Price - $2,500,000
128-96-0741-000
121 CONCORD ST
VTT FRAMINGHAM RENAISSANCE, LLC
$3,295,500
Sale Date - 1/18/2011
Sale Price - $2,500,000
VTT Framingham Renaissance isn't VTT's only company buying up huge properties,
but for the purpose of this post, I will focus on this one alone.
The other related issue is one of zoning. I understand the request for a
zoning change is to allow more families into the downtown area - apartments.
There are 16,000 apartments and ALL are filled up. Are we still thinking
upgrades and upper middle class? I think that has gone 'by the wayside'
because they would NOT move to a place where THEY are culturally at a
disadvantage AND CROWDED. So it's not REVITALIZATION but Urban Renewal.
So with the increase and appeal to 'families' is this to fund further expansion
of 'newcomers' into the area? (Bottomless pit of taxing) Which would include
more children as well and now there is a school problem.
I understand there is an excess of 600 kids in the schools from this influx -
and that there is a scrambling to try to handle them all. And at $16,000 per
kid, to pay for them all ($9.6 million with just this number) Why would there
be a move to increase the influx at all, which seems to be the case? The
inherent problems of space, (apparently) ESL courses since most don't speak
English, worsening student-teacher ratios, the consequent failure of
assimilation resulting in fights (former post about the need for increased SRO
presence), kids being knifed, beaten, ending up in the hospital - seemingly a
pattern rather than an aberration and foreshadowing of things to come.
So is Framingham the new 'beachhead' for incoming (illegal) newcomers? I
realize this is a taboo subject, but why should it be? Why can't we discuss the
flood which is presently occurring in Europe with disastrous results, for
example. What's going on THERE is extremely relevant here. They have had to
STOP the influx of illegals pouring into their respective countries because
they couldn't handle the burden on their systems. Why should it get that far?
Why can't we say NO - you want into this country, be vetted in your country -
do so legally.
Framingham is only one example of overload with the burden of such imprudent
policies and the consequent failure of these policies ... something we have
only BEGUN to feel.
So, it seems a two-fold problem here. So we have a company (VTT Framingham
Renaissance) buying up huge areas of the to-be-renovated (Downtown Renaissance)
designated for apartments likely having HIS property renovated on the
taxpayer's dime. The burden on the social infrastructure forces the 'players'
to petition for more money (higher taxes for the citizens) to pay for this and
the concurrent hemorrhaging into the town of 'newcomers'.
I noticed this topic is the proverbial ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. It's there,
obvious to everyone but no one wants to or is afraid to talk about it. Now we
can talk about it. Consider this as letting you know THE ELEPHANT IS IN THE
ROOM ... oh and also ....
THIS IS ALL PART OF AGENDA 21.