Current Events with Long Term Consequences

Grubb Buys Palm Apts. (News & Observer)

The sale closed late last week. And Grubb, who is president of Grubb Ventures, says he plans to continue operating Palms' 212 units as rentals. But it's safe to assume he has bigger plans for the 39-acre property. Eventually.

Grubb has specialized in snatching older properties in thriving Raleigh neighborhoods and turning them into something grander.

Letter to the Editor: Colorful Community

Regarding the July 31 article "Grubb buys Palms Apts.," I would urge Gordon Grubb to spend some time at the Palms Apartments before he decides to redevelop them and possibly displace the current community.

The Palms is like a mini-United Nations. There you can find refugees from Congo living next to Montagnards, who live around the corner from henna-tattooed women from Egypt. These diverse people bring a rich culture to our schools and our neighborhood.

Another example of what makes Raleigh Raleigh ... any ideas where our rich culture can flourish after all of Raleigh's best kept secrets are gone?

Working people are being priced out of the Whitaker Mill Road neighborhoods, the Oaks effect has modest homes on Pine and Avon selling for teardowns, residents of Country Club homes do not know how long their leases are really for, Glen-Lennox residents in Chapel Hill are scattering as they search for small apartments.

In the business world, Glenwood Professional Village gave way to Glenwood Gardens. The Methodist Building and Raleigh Townes Apartments will become something upscale at Glenwood and Wade. The Koger Center became Glenwood North and a wrecking ball party demolished the 35 year old "Kogerama" building, heralding "the construction of a new state-of-the-art five story building and parking deck."

“We are pleased to have an opportunity to celebrate this wonderful redevelopment," said Grubb, President of Grubb Ventures, LLC. "Not many people get to see a building being razed, so the event will be exciting for everyone in attendance."

Fallonia is glad she missed the invitation.

They are good people and they do good work. The only problem is that the upscaling of every cubic inch of old Raleigh is creating a new Raleigh ... one in which only the very well off can run a business or work / live nearby. Yes, Fallonia has been spoiled rotten being able to take her position ITB for granted. But not any longer; she is paying dearly for the privilege now.

The Community Conversation presentation from late June by Don Rypkema still speaks (see blog post here for further links). This excerpt is from the Sustainable Dubuque (Iowa) project:

Sustainability is defined by a community’s ability to meet the environmental, economic, and social equity needs of today without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Sustainable Dubuque is a holistic approach to making our community sustainable. Our model involves a three-part approach that looks at:

• Environmental and Ecological Integrity
  
• Economic Prosperity
  
• Social and Cultural Vibrancy
  

Each of these pieces is important individually and helps contribute to a sustainable community. Here is how the model works:

When you have policies and programs that address Environmental and Ecological Integrity with Economic Prosperity, you have policies and programs that are viable.

When you have policies and programs that address Environmental and Ecological Integrity with Social/Cultural Vibrancy you have policies and programs that are livable.

When you have policies and programs that address Economic Prosperity with Social/Cultural Vibrancy you have policies and programs that are equitable.

However, when a community creates polices and programs that address all three pieces, such as Sustainable Dubuque, you have a community that is viable, livable and equitable.

Are we going to get it, forget it, or be got by this?