Only 6 out of 1500 non-resident Detroit cops take incentives to live in Detroit?

[oladub]

I am reminded of a Roman strategy. After twenty years of service in the Imperial Army, soldiers were usually rewarded with land.

A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants of land are also awarded to individuals and companies as incentives to develop unused land in relatively unpopulated countries. Roman soldiers were given rewards at the end of their service including cash or land [[praemia). -wikipedia

Detroit has a lot of vacant land on it's hands but not so much cash. Think of all the possibilities if this was set up right. Instead of paying out pensions to city employees, they could be offered the option of lump sum payments of city owned land in designated areas. Forget about the overpriced refurbished homes. Civil service retirees could, in turn, sell their holdings to developers as an option or even be part of the development. The Romans often gave away land near it's borders to retired soldiers because they were militarily trained and served as an effective hedge for the Empire.


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[Buy American]

I am reminded of a Roman strategy. After twenty years of service in the Imperial Army, soldiers were usually rewarded with land.

A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants of land are also awarded to individuals and companies as incentives to develop unused land in relatively unpopulated countries. Roman soldiers were given rewards at the end of their service including cash or land [[praemia). -wikipedia

Detroit has a lot of vacant land on it's hands but not so much cash. Think of all the possibilities if this was set up right. Instead of paying out pensions to city employees, they could be offered the option of lump sum payments of city owned land in designated areas. Forget about the overpriced refurbished homes. Civil service retirees could, in turn, sell their holdings to developers as an option or even be part of the development. The Romans often gave away land near it's borders to retired soldiers because they were militarily trained and served as an effective hedge for the Empire.


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I wouldn't take a parcel of land in Detroit in return for my pension. You say civil service employees could sell their holdings to developers??? What developers? There are thousands of parcels in Detroit that are unused because no one wants them.....not to live on or work in.

[oladub]

I wouldn't take a parcel of land in Detroit in return for my pension. You say civil service employees could sell their holdings to developers??? What developers? There are thousands of parcels in Detroit that are unused because no one wants them.....not to live on or work in.

Create a demand. Tie this together with Mayor Bing's idea about cutting services to parts of the City. Let's say that a contiguous area of 60 square blocks was designated for future development meeting certain density and investment requirements. If Detroit gets into a situation of not being able to pay it's pension obligations, it could, for instance, offer shares in this land trust. The owners of the land trust could do almost anything they wanted with the land from build their own houses on it to sell it to a developer. Why not even let Detroit police and civil service workers living in Detroit have the option of setting aside a percent of their paychecks to buy shares. Suddenly, a lot of working and retired civil service workers are stakeholders in developing Detroit. One problem up to now is that the individual parcels are not attractive. Put together a large contiguous area and we have a new ball game.

I don't know what empty lots in war torn areas in Detroit sell for these days but if the same land was part of something that had potential, maybe with a wall around it and it's own owners association to govern it, the value would pop.

[Kevgoblue]

Since our Governor says he wants to support a strengthening of
Detroit, he should put his money where his mouth is.

Revise his tax plan. Instead of giving away $2B in tax revenue in the hope that business will come flocking to Michigan, give tax cuts in response to business actually coming to the city. Lots of people left the city after the auto industry started setting up shop outside the borders. People followed the money and jobs. In addition the newly built, Federally fundend highway system made it convenient to get around.

In today's world gas prices ae a burden and will most likely do nothing but continue to rise over time. Create an incentive to bring the jobs and money back to the city and people will once again follow it.