Deseret News | Reader comments: Mall owner seeks to retain zoning

Reader comments
Mall owner seeks to retain zoning

Idea | 10:24 p.m. July 9, 2009

I think the State or County should seize the property and make this into a massive park that would eclipse Liberty Park.

CougarKeith | 11:34 p.m. July 9, 2009

If the Property Company is waiting for the Economy to show signs of renewal and growth, they have at least 4 years! When Obama is ousted and the Democrats are ousted in Congress. Then IF and only "IF" the Conservatives get control and do the right things, TAX CUTS, and Incentives and MORE TAX CUTS, something might start churning. Get used to it people, we are in this for the long haul!

Wayne | 11:35 p.m. July 9, 2009

To Idea: Seize the property? You must be a democrat. Isn't there enough seizing going on in Washington?

Comments continue below

Rezone and use | 5:57 a.m. July 10, 2009

No time soon will this Mall be rebuilt and it will be years before consumers can be able to be a viable part of the economy. It's apparent this company is struggling and unable to fulfill any redevelopment of the property.

The tax payers have invested too much money and have the right to demand payment or release of the property to the taxpayers. This company received more than tax incentives, they also got funding from the board of education, $20 million dollars worth. Not only should it be rezoned, we should seize the property for non payment on tax payer loans.

The land should be redeveloped in to other uses, as a mall it is marginally accessible and the streets are insufficient to withstand the traffic load. The other uses planned are also questionable and very prone to failure and misuse. Before long this project will become a haven for crime and sever deterioration. For this company to maintain the land will become too costly and ignored as it struggles with other economic losses.

Barack to the rescue | 7:19 a.m. July 10, 2009

With our new economy now in place, I'm sure it will be just a matter of months before the "rich" receive their producers penalty- who do you think you are-class envy- “super-surcharge” tax, so the rest of us can pick up our weekly government subsistence checks and shop til we drop. No worry General Growth, under the Obama math formula all that wishes and hopes for change will be made whole.

Anonymous | 9:34 a.m. July 10, 2009

It would be interesting to see whether the mall construction would get off the ground if all of the RDA money had an expiration date.

Mike | 10:06 a.m. July 10, 2009

Repeal all tax incentives to these people if they don't build it within a year. I hate my taxes for Granite District going up because of stupidity like this.

Anonymous | 10:16 a.m. July 10, 2009

Might as well plant corn, or something else to utilize the ground while we wait for the government to get out of the way of business..

Location, location, location. | 10:18 a.m. July 10, 2009

It will be years before they can build this development. Turn it into a park or as so many feilds have become neighborhoods, this would be prime real estate even in this day and age. Besides, as an earlier post-er mentioned, the surrounding roads are not adequate for this type of development. Highland Drive is a death trap.

Smart | 10:42 a.m. July 10, 2009

Let the City Creek development people take over. Let them build it and the people will come...

Thanks CougarKeith except... | 11:13 a.m. July 10, 2009

It was your buddies in Washington for the last 8 years that caused this mess. Not the people who are there now.

resident 1 | 11:20 a.m. July 10, 2009

Whenever change occurs, taxes rise. Change is synonamous with tax increase. Might as well create a park for us to enjoy while we wait for building to start. That way, we can enjoy something besides a large field of weeds. also, RDA money needs to be frozen and time limits placed on it to prevent future events such as this. Let's learn from our mistakes and prevent reoccurrences in the future.

Holladay Man | 12:56 p.m. July 10, 2009

To "Rezone and use" individual making such uneducated comments, and to all that think that our tax money has gone to this development, you really should read on how RDAs ACTUALY work before making such blatent and rhetorical comments. Nobody's taxes have gone to this development or the developer! In fact no public financing will proceed unless the development is ACTUALLY completed! There is a timeline on the RDA and incentives if you look at old newspaper articles. So nobody is out any money here except for the developer themselves... I constantly love the idiots who suggest a park here and who don't live in Holladay! As a Holladay resident, we need this project (or a commercial project of some sort) built here to sustain our city. Without the sales taxes from this site, Holladay could face huge financial struggles which means one thing: Hiking my taxes! So for those of you who want a park on the old cottonwood site, its a silly suggestion considering the negative economic impact on the city and residents that would take place without a commercial core here!

Tax cuts are not the answer | 2:34 p.m. July 10, 2009

The reason there is a recession because the flow of debt has stopped. Money is debt. Without debt there is no money.

Giving tax cuts are not the answer because when consumers are nervous about the economy they will not spend. If you give people tax cuts they will just save it because they are nervous.

The federal government has to inject money(debt) in order to get money flowing again. Where they make mistakes is not doing direct high impact projects like building highways and infastructure.

They also make a mistake by "borrowing money." The federal government has the power to create money. It is stupid to pay interest on money you created out of thin air. The solution is to directly infuse this debt into the american economy creating american jobs and taxing accordingly to avoid inflation. Taxing properly instead of paying interest on our own money is cheaper but politicians do not have the courage to tax people because it will hold them accountable on the debt they are producing.

Himself | 2:39 p.m. July 10, 2009

Holladay Man,

Thanks for the facts. Looks like Holladay threw the dice and lost. At least nobody else is on the hook.
As for commercial development the economy points to some things your city might look into.
Payday lenders, Dollar store, Pawn shops, Thrift stores, and Tattoo parlors. They do very well in the rest of the county.

What are they Thinking?? | 8:08 p.m. July 10, 2009

Why is the Holladay Council wanting to put a "gun " to their head? What kind of statement is that? I live their and am applauded by that comment for the Mayor and Council. What kind of leadership is that? As a citizen, I am asking all interested people to run for public office in Holladay. The Mayor and Grant Orton are up and there needs to be change if they are not going to follow the citizens needs. Too much has gone wrong in this city in the last 3 years. Lets fix it!

Anonymous | 5:45 p.m. July 19, 2009

This is not a democrats vs. republicans issue. The Cottonwood Mall redevelopment project occurred because investors were hoping to take advantage of a booming economy and Holladay thought it would benefit from revenue that would be generated there. There's nothing wrong with pursuing business opportunties (which do come with risks) but it looks like both General Growth & Holladay City lost this time. (As an aside, most likely, both those who invested in and those who approved the project were Republicans, but that's neither here nor there.)

The mistake is shared by both city and developer. They now share the obligation to develop a plan to optimize the use of the land from now until the economy picks up enough to proceed, probably years from no.

As for the "gun to the head" comment, they are strong words, but it is wise for Holladay to keep pressure on General Growth. As the article notes, they own (and are probably struggling with) more than 200 malls across the country. Holladay cannot afford to let the Cottonwood Mall site to fall to the bottom of General Growth's priority list.

CougarKeith - it's time to stop ranting and start proposing solutions.

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