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CDD worth considering for Main Street project

By DAN TIPTON
Published June 25, 2006

As mayor of this great city of New Port Richey, I have been blessed to be surrounded by very good council members. For all elected officials who step forward for public office, I have to take my hat off to you. Sometimes it becomes gut wrenching and is not an easy job. I believe in the past three years we have turned this city around and are moving in the right direction due to all of our City Council members.

Main Street Landing is going to help move this wonderful city forward and I don't believe that anyone who loves our city wants to see a construction blunder on the corner of Main Street and River Road for many years to come. Did I say many years? Yes, I believe (an abandoned project) will sit there to attract vagrants, drug deals and many bad things right at the entrance of our city.

I believe Ken McGurn is a good man, an honest man and I also think that it was very embarrassing for him and the Main Street Landing Group to come before us to try to explain his financial difficulty at our televised meeting. I also think that he has a lot of courage and pride.

At the beginning of this project, I did not agree with the extra $300,000 to boost our incentive to the $1.25-million. I voted no and lost 4-1, but once the vote was over I have backed this project 100 percent.

Mr. McGurn said that when the project is completed, if we help, he stands to lose $2.5-million. I believe this is a possibility and I believe Mr. McGurn is sincere. Why? Three very simple qualities: self-respect, integrity and reputation. I think Mr. McGurn has all three.

A couple of people said that no one would lose $2.5-million and finish a construction project. This can happen when you have rising construction cost, rising interest rates, and a somewhat bad economy. It can happen in a hurry. If Mr. McGurn is willing to take the loss, I think we should be able to look at the possibility of the Community Development District.

Mr. Altman had the vision, and a good vision it was. Mr. McGurn had the money, experience, and the guts to take a chance on a risky project. Can you sell a condo or townhouse in the city of New Port Richey for $300,000 to $600,000? He was able to do it, right here in our city.

Mr. McGurn has stated in an open public meeting that he has put all his personal assets, including his home, on the line for this project. This is why I believe he is willing to lose a great deal of money to complete the project. It's simple. Does he want to lose $6- million to $7-million that he has personally invested into this project or take his lumps of approximately $2-million to complete Main Street Landing?

I want to encourage the City Council to go further and explore the idea of the CDD. I do respect all decisions made by our City Council members and will back all decisions we make 100 percent. It will not cost the city any money to go forward and look into the idea of a CDD for Main Street Landing Phase 1.

Mr. McGurn said also he will not include Phase II on the north side of Main Street, in the CDD proposal, which I and many others have never wanted.

I would like to see if one of the council members who voted no would reconsider. If we look into the CDD proposal, we absolutely do not need to approve it if we feel like this will not work for our city. But, I feel we should be open minded.

If and when the project does go forward, the developer, who may not be Mr. McGurn, is going to be in the driver's seat and get whatever they want just to get it finished. Mr. McGurn agreed with all the requests we asked of him including giving up any profit he may make on this project.

The McGurns are by no means a large development company. They are good people trying to make a difference in our city. Maybe if we can work this out and it does turn out to be a great project for New Port Richey, they might possibly want to do the project at the Landings of Orange Lake. Then, they can make a profit on their investment in our city.

Let's give our beautiful city and Mr. and Mrs. McGurn a chance on this project.

We have a great City Council and somehow we need to move in a positive direction. We have nothing to lose but a lot to gain for our great city.

Dan Tipton is mayor of New Port Richey.

[Last modified June 25, 2006, 04:15:06]