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Reinventing Public Housing: Is the Atlanta Model Right for Your City?
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By Howard Husock
http://www.citiesonahill.org/public_housing/
4/17/2010
Editor's Note: This article is being reprinted partly because it makes clear that golf and golf courses are simply NOT a necessary or even typical component of reproducing the 'Atlanta Model' of public housing redevelopment anywhere in the United States, despite all the rhetoric from the Bayou District Foundation and the state and local politicians that support them. There is absolutely no reason that control of public golf courses should be tied into the successful redevelopment of public housing projects in general and the St Bernard housing project in particular.
Although public housing is commonly associated with big cities, local authorities own and manage almost 1,200,000 housing units in more than 3,000 municipalities throughout the United States. An imaginative management approach to public housing holds the potential to improve not just housing conditions but also the finances and real-estate-development climates in cities across America.
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Audubon Golf Course: Lessons for City Park?
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Reprinted from and courtesy of SaveAudubonPark.org
4/3/2010
In honor of Bob Becker's current foray into the world of constructing expensive new golf courses, this time in his role as CEO of City Park rather than VP of Planning for the Audubon Institute, a job he held until July 2001, we thought it was time to remind people ONCE AGAIN of how this one turned out. Who knows: some day, reality may prevail over hype and misinformation.
The Audubon Commission Financial Statements of 2003 proudly note that "the newly renovated Audubon Park Golf Course and new Audubon Park Clubhouse generated additional revenues of approximately $1,540,000." They chose not to mention that expenses of over $2 million were also generated, resulting in a hefty loss for the new course in its first year of 2003, a pattern that has continued every year since... as predicted by many who opposed the course in 2001. We've charted the numbers for 1995-2008 below, and attached the financial records for the skeptics.
While we've certainly never claimed to understand Audubon Institute economics, it seems that earning $60,000-$80,000 a year from an "old" golf course is far preferable to consistently losing $500,000-$600,000 a year from a new one instead. While revenues for year 5 of operation (2008) are certainly higher than the $1,318,449 projected by their economic study, the corresponding expenses for year 5 are projected at a mere $948,308 rather than the grim reality of $2,345,956.
Is this really what the AC-ANI had in mind? And more importantly, does this sound like good management to you? For an organization that receives almost one-third of its revenues each year from our tax dollars and spent $6 million of mostly public dollars to build this golf course, perhaps a bit of public accountability should be expected.
Visit Save Audubon Park for more information and the revenue/loss chart.
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Surprise! Bayou District Foundation is the choice
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4/3/2010
In case you haven't heard the news (wouldn't it be nice if we had some actual newspapers in this town?): according to Bob Becker, and coming as no surprise to anyone, the Bayou District Foundation has received the "highest point score" of the three bidders to develop and manage the new Phase I golf plan in City Park, and that now "negotiations" were being conducted. He did not state a date when the contract would actually be awarded.
We can only hope that part of these negotiations involve the question of how City Park and the taxpayers will be protected when the new course ends up a financial failure, as has happened with the TPC Louisiana golf course that has to be bailed out by our tax dollars, or the Audubon Park Golf Course, which also loses hundreds of thousands of dollars a year despite being built with public funds and by an organization that receives a third of its revenues from tax dollars (see Save Audubon Park for more information).
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Developers coming to City Park's golf courses
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James Gill
Times-Picayune
4/7/2010
Our championship-level golf course on the west bank has flopped, requiring close to $30 million in taxpayer subsidies over the last few years, but are we discouraged?
No, sir. The way we figure it, if one PGA-style course proves ruinous, the best way to make a bunch of money is to build another one, this time in City Park.
Mr. Micawber would approve of the business plan. Park commissioners must figure something will turn up, because, having received three proposals, they have given the nod to one with a budget that exceeds the available cash by $9 million.
The park had three run-of-the-mill courses before Katrina, but only one has been open since. That has meant a lot of wasted space, with nothing but meadows, a bunch of trees, lagoons, birds swooping and fish jumping. The peace and quiet almost makes you think you're in the country. We obviously need to bring in the developers.
In fact, we do. City Park cannot survive without generating revenue, and golf has helped keep the wolf from the door for decades. The old North Course still does, and remains a popular hang-out for decent players and duffers alike.
Locals wanting to see PGA action have an opportunity every year when the Zurich Classic is held at the Tournament Players Club course near Avondale, which has otherwise been a disaster. The Mike Foster administration put taxpayers on the hook if not enough hackers showed up for the rest of the year to keep the course solvent. We have been bleeding money ever since.
Proponents of the new course at City Park course presumably figure it will take over the Zurich tournament. That will give taxpayers even more reason to rue the Avondale folly.
City Park has $16 million state and federal cash in hand, which would be enough to build a splendiferous 18 holes.
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Fore! Here come the developers
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James Gill
Times Picayune
4/7/2010
Our championship-level golf course on the west bank has flopped, requiring close to $30 million in taxpayer subsidies over the last few years, but are we discouraged?
No, sir. The way we figure it, if one PGA-style course proves ruinous, the best way to make a bunch of money is to build another one, this time in City Park.
Mr. Micawber would approve of the business plan. Park commissioners must figure something will turn up, because, having received three proposals, they have given the nod to one with a budget that exceeds the available cash by $9 million.
The park had three run-of-the-mill courses before Katrina, but only one has been open since. That has meant a lot of wasted space, with nothing but meadows, a bunch of trees, lagoons, birds swooping and fish jumping. The peace and quiet almost makes you think you're in the country. We obviously need to bring in the developers.
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Going for the Green: City Park golf complex could get independent manager
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Frank Donze, Times-Picayune
4/5/2010
Five years after City Park embraced an ambitious overhaul of its storm-battered golf complex, officials are preparing to begin formal negotiations with the Bayou District Foundation, a New Orleans nonprofit group that wants to build and manage the proposed 18-hole championship course, clubhouse and driving range between Interstate 610 and Filmore Avenue.
The talks got the green light last month after the Bayou District bid received the top score among three submitted to the City Park Board of Commissioners. But Bob Becker, the park's chief executive officer, cautioned that there is no guarantee that a deal will be struck.
"The negotiations will determine if an acceptable contractual arrangement can be reached,'' Becker said, adding that the final decision will rest with the 36-member City Park board.
The Bayou District offer is valid through mid-May, though that date could be extended if both sides agree. Becker said a negotiating team that he will head will attempt to craft an agreement with Bayou District officials in the coming weeks.
Becker said a key issue will be how the foundation intends to close a $9 million gap in financing for the project, which has an estimated price tag of $24.5 million.
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