I can almost guarantee that the Saginaw St bridge is going to be rebuilt before too long. It's a very old, very busy bridge, making it a good candidate for reconstruction. I'm almost sure that when they do rebuild it it will be higher up, or at least use lower-profile girders.
I'm glad to hear that he is working on getting Marketplace moving. I'm really glad to hear that they're looking at recladding the pedestrian bridge, that thing is really ugly.
City Council is holding up the Armory and Marketplace projects over the inclusion of PLA's. I'm sure that one way or another the projects will proceed, despite this setback. It seems as if it should be a non-issue as the City Attorney has stated that a PLA would be illegal. I just hope the council doesn't get to hung up on this.
I am against PLA's personally, I believe that if unionized workers can't compete with non-union workers than the unions must not be worthwhile.
Does anyone have details regarding the negotiations between the Gillespie Group and the unions? I am absolutely in favor of this development (and the Armory) moving forward. I have met the Gillespies and spoken with them about their plans, and I believe that they are genuine in their professed hoped to move Lansing forward. They grew up in the neighborhood where I live now, and they are willing to invest in these tough times. However, I am also a supporter of local union labor. Honestly, I don't understand why certain council members and local labor groups are so adamant that these programs stall... If the Gillespie Group truly wants to help Lansing, then the construction jobs will be local jobs. And I trust that this is the case. So, are these issues purely financial, or are there other forces in play? (timelines, quality of construction materials, etc)?
I don't mean to make the site too political; most of us have the same goals. But, with council seats at stake, I want to be informed. I am willing to work to remove obstructionist council members if they are playing a political games. If they are trying to secure local jobs, then the issue gets more complicated. Can anyone speak to this issue?
I too would love to see these projects move forward, but also would like the labor to be as local as possible. It would be nice for Gillespie to try to use lansing area contractors wherever possible. I really dont care if they are union or not.
I have written councilman Hewitt about the vote from two weeks ago, and have yet to receive a response. I am very curious of his reasons, and it would go a long way as to my decision on whether to retain him as my representative.
I am in support of requiring a said amount of local labor on a project (not 100% though, as some projects may require a small number of highly specialized workers that may not be available locally). I also support requiring that all workers be paid a particular minimum wage on a project. I do not, and will not support the requirement of union labor though, unions tend to be too political and self-righteous. If your requiring a living wage you just essentially accomplished the same purpose as a union. Besides, most skilled workers (plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, steelworkers, HVAC, etc...) who do commercial projects will be unionized regardless.
Comments
City Council is holding up the Armory and Marketplace projects over the inclusion of PLA's. I'm sure that one way or another the projects will proceed, despite this setback. It seems as if it should be a non-issue as the City Attorney has stated that a PLA would be illegal. I just hope the council doesn't get to hung up on this.
I am against PLA's personally, I believe that if unionized workers can't compete with non-union workers than the unions must not be worthwhile.
I don't mean to make the site too political; most of us have the same goals. But, with council seats at stake, I want to be informed. I am willing to work to remove obstructionist council members if they are playing a political games. If they are trying to secure local jobs, then the issue gets more complicated. Can anyone speak to this issue?
I have written councilman Hewitt about the vote from two weeks ago, and have yet to receive a response. I am very curious of his reasons, and it would go a long way as to my decision on whether to retain him as my representative.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20101025/NEWS01/310250014/-1/rss13
The judge says the Gillespies lived up to their end of the bargain. Is it a dead issue? Or, do we need further clarification?