Swain urged the persons talking tonight to come back with some financial numbers of what they are proposing. This is one portion of a plan to keep downtown viable. There are a lot of other things this community can go to further this cause. Service said this is not an affordable housing question. This is a loan.
Downtown is important, the convention center is important and the hotel is necessary for both.
The debate tonight is important but there are other ways to go about funding the cause, perhaps the COIT monies. Pizzo said that this is not a contest between a parking lot and low cost housing. We are going to do more and have done so in the last five years than any other council and will do more in the future. If we want to raise the standards of the community in terms of wages, then we cannot block out sources of revenues and conventions bring in outside money to the community. The level of the economy has to rise in order for wages to rise.