ec_2000 t1_jbqlbkk wrote on March 10, 2023 at 11:12 PM

Reply to comment by Proof-Variation7005 in Fane Tower project in Providence is dead by Ph886

This is true. Unfortunately, the whole process was a mixture of proposal and draft. I think there’s space for community input but we need to get rid of all the barriers for development and investment in the area. At the very least they should try to attract new out of state business to the area with incentives. RI’s economic indicators are so bad😭.

Proof-Variation7005 t1_jbqmze1 wrote on March 10, 2023 at 11:24 PM

It's worth noting that the Fane project went through years of review and changes because of community input. Hell, it was originally going to be 3 buildings. I think the last design change was in the last year.

FunLife64 t1_jbswzxc wrote on March 11, 2023 at 1:39 PM

What people fail to see in this topic is that RI doesn’t have good jobs. You can only make barebones construction so cheap. So maybe if people in this state had better job opportunities they’d also make more money!

total_life_forever t1_jbtrzwz wrote on March 11, 2023 at 5:30 PM

The unavoidable problem is that any large business is going to want tax breaks and other perks that really make their coming here not a big coup for state and local governments. The hypermobility of capital has created a race to the bottom in this regard - the only way to compete with other locales for "job creation" is to give up damn near every benefit in favor of wooing the corporation. At that point you're pinning all your hopes on trickle down economics (good jobs will be created, and they'll have higher wages!) but even that is misleading because corporations routinely depress wages and conduct mass layoffs. RI doesn't have good jobs, and barring a wave of change addressing the inherent flaws in capitalism, it's mostly going to stay that way.

FunLife64 t1_jbtwvz5 wrote on March 11, 2023 at 6:04 PM

Giving tax breaks to companies is a standard practice to attract businesses - every single state does this.

There are certainly better “deals” than others.

But again - stomping feet and doing nothing to maintain perfect ideals is leaving Rhode Island behind.

It goes with this project too. We need housing!!! But actually it’s too tall and I don’t love the design and it will block me from taking pictures of the Superman Building. So I’ll complain anywhere I can to try to sabotage the project.

It’s just not a helpful mentality. Same with the example I mentioned above - people were against bringing a sub-10 story building company HQ to an undeveloped plot of land….cause of traffic concerns.

There’s a loud subset of population here that is literally against any development that’s not exactly what THEY want.