More good news for supporters of the TRV (like yours truly): the Army Corps of Engineers has given the project the go-ahead, and they can now start construction. Max Baker in the S-T has the story:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officially opened the funding floodgates for Trinity Uptown on Friday by signing a formal agreement that allows the federal agency to actually begin building the $576-million flood control and economic development project.
John Woodley, assistant secretary of the U.S. Army, flew in from Washington to sign the agreement and to praise Trinity Uptown as a project that successfully balances the Army Corps of Engineers’ mission of flood control with the community’s vision of rebuilding the inner-city.
Great news. It’s going to be fascinating watching the TRV come to fruition now that things are in motion (first the demolitions begin, and now this).
!
Probably could make FW unlike anywhere else
What a load of crap and waste of money. When’s the last time FW was flooded out? 1949? This is just a big facade, a project acting like a flood control project, when it’s really to provide development opportunities to wealthy corporations. Again, WHAT A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY!
And with the current political talk of government earmarks, this is one of ‘em. An earmark brought to you by Ms. Hutchison. And don’t forget, her son is running the whole damn show as Executive Director of the project. I was hoping this project would not get funded until the new president takes his position and takes earmarks off the table or more money is funneled to hurricane victims on the coast, where’s it’s actually needed.
Believe me, this will not turn FW’s Trinity River into Baltimore’s ocean waterfront.
John,
I think you meant Kay Granger. If you’re going to sling crap, at least sling it at the right target.
Does anyone know if it is true that the stagnant overflow waters from this project will sit on the Eastside of Ft. Worth? If so, how does this help the Eastside? I still don’t understand why taxdollars should pay for “economic development.” If the market is there, why shouldn’t the developers have to pay full price w/out any tax breaks?
Suzette,
Flood waters will be deposited into the Riverside Oxbow in Gateway Park.
Gateway Park will be receiving quite a bit of new facilities and improvements as part of the TRV. That certainly doesn’t hurt.
The land is not developable to the extent it would be post-TRV due to the levees and whatnot. That’s one of the reasons it’s such a vacant place now. Besides solving flood problems more effectively than the levees, the TRV will make that land much more usable.
The end result is a swath of more-developable land in the central city with room for 10,000 residents and new businesses. A great weapon against sprawl, which is one reason why it gets my support.