It’s Time

It’s time to STOP the proposed hotel & convention center project.
It’s the WRONG project, at the WRONG time, at the WRONG place.
Reasons:
The project is NOT supported by county or city residents.
Last month a poll of 21,853 people at 10 locations throughout the county
was conducted. The results showed that 89% did not support the project.

The estimated project COST has GROWN 84% from $70 to $129 million.
The final amount will not be known until the bids come back in December.

The project has CHANGED from largely private to almost ALL public with public, NOT private guarantees.
Original plan was almost 2/3 private and the current plan is nearly 3/4 public

57 questions were asked of Penn Square Partners. These questions have NOT been answered.
A feasibility study either was NOT done or has NOT been made public.
The studies referenced publicly are marketing studies not feasibility studies.

It’s IRRESPONSIBLE to teardown the historic Watt & Shand building before
a determination can be made that SUFFICIENT funding exists to COMPLETE the project.

It’s Time
IT’S TIME for civic and business leaders, as well as the public figures
who have privately wanted to stop the project, to COME FORWARD.
IT’S TIME for all concerned parties to COME TOGETHER to identify a group of downtown revitalization projects
that have COMMUNITY SUPPORT and make sense — attractions & entertainment venues need to be included
to give city and county residents, as well as area visitors, A REASON to come downtown.
The governor WANTS to support projects that have broad community support NOT those that are
promoted by a handful of people. We need to tell him that we have a BETTER use for state grant funds.

It’s Time To Do The Right Thing

The Lancaster Group Lancaster First