The City of Whitewater, together with UW-Whitewater and the Whitewater Community Development Authority, is undertaking an eleven-million dollar, publicly-funded technology park project. The centerpiece of that project is an Innovation Center building. (I have written about the project before; for information on the relationship between the three organizations involved in the project, see the Memorandum…
Innovation Center/Tech Park
City, Economy, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Poverty
Whitewater’s Innovation Center from the Perspective of the New Deal
by JOHN ADAMS •
I posted yesterday about Whitewater’s Innovation Center, in a post entitled, Whitewater’s Innovation Center: Grants and Bonds. The more one looks at the project, the emptier it seems. Attempts to justify the multi-million dollar public expenditure — on their own, apart from any other consideration — are exercises in embarrassing hyperbole. Attempts to answer objections…
Innovation Center/Tech Park
Whitewater’s Innovation Center: Grants and Bonds
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s planned Innovation Center and Tech Park rest on a multi-million dollar federal grant and millions in federally-subsidized bonds. The grant is for $4.7 million, and here is how a page from the Economic Development Administration described the purpose for those millions: September 7-September 11, 2009 ….$4,740,809 to the Whitewater Community Development Authority, the University…
City, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
At the Whitewater, Wisconsin Business Park
by JOHN ADAMS •
Scenes from a local, overly-planned economy — Whitewater, Wisconsin’s Business Park. This empty building alone is half the size of a planned Innovation Center, and has more vacant space than the Innovation Center now has signed rental space (rental space for two related, publicly-funded, non-tech agencies).
Haiku, Innovation Center/Tech Park
Innovation Center Haiku
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Innovation Center/Tech Park
More Absurd Excuses from Brunner and Telfer: “UW-Whitewater Breaks Ground on Technology Park”
by JOHN ADAMS •
Excuses made on behalf of Whitewater’s publicly-funded Innovation Center and Tech Park are growing increasingly absurd, and are easily refuted. Each attempt of officials to justify the project only shows, yet again, what a wasteful scheme it is. Serious and thorough examination of tech parks like this shows they’re money-draining failures. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel…
Innovation Center/Tech Park
Whitewater Innovation Center’s Second Tenant: As Unsuitable as the First
by JOHN ADAMS •
I am one of the few people who bothers to read the Weekly Report of Whitewater, Wisconsin’s City Manager, Kevin Brunner. Read it I do, and in the August 13th edition, one sees this announcement about a second tenant for the under-construction Innovation Center: Construction on Schedule for Whitewater Innovation Center; Another Tenant to Lease…
Innovation Center/Tech Park
On Whitewater’s “Innovation” Center, August 2010
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a story at the Janesville Gazette‘s website that offers a chance to consider yet again Whitewater’s Innovation Center. It’s a welcome opportunity. For the Gazette‘s story, see UW-Whitewater is a serious player in economic development. First, an observation about the Innovation Center and Tech Park: This is an eleven million dollar publicly-funded project, using…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
Buildings in Tokyo, Japan and in Whitewater, Wisconsin
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an intriguing video on YouTube that records in time-lapse filming the construction of a tower in Tokyo. It’s the Tokyo Sky Tree. The video depicts work over an extended period. (Although the description on YouTube somewhat misstates the timespan of the recording, it’s still fascinating.) Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb8MUeZrxbc. Despite all its beauty, the video invites…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
Whitewater’s Publicly-Funded Innovation Center on Sunday, July 18th
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Innovation Center/Tech Park
The City Manager’s Greetings from Ames, Iowa
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve posted cards about Whitewater from earlier times, but it’s a card from Iowa that I’ve embedded today. Imagine someone passing along a card from Ames, Iowa, site of a recent International (!) Town and Gown Association meeting on sustainable partnerships. Here’s that recent find: Click card to view larger image The postcard that I’ve…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park
Avoiding State and Local Economic Problems
by JOHN ADAMS •
In a state with high unemployment, with temporary census workers masking the true weakness of the job market, and with the prospect of upcoming tax increases that will retard economic growth, there are still ways for local governments to improve their own prospects. I posted earlier this year on the suggestions of Stephen Goldsmith of…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
Whitewater’s Innovation Center Groundbreaking
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve written before about Whitewater’s tech park and Innovation Center, and some of the coverage it’s received. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Innovation Center, held this Tuesday, is another opportunity to review officials’ flimsy claims. Statements at the event were sadly, but predictably, empty. Prior Posts. I’ve written about the Tech Park and Innovation Center…
City, Innovation Center/Tech Park
City of Whitewater: We’ve Wasted Spent Less Stimulus Money Than We Expected!
by JOHN ADAMS •
It’s Groundbreaking Part Deux for Whitewater today. Last September, there was a groundbreaking for the tech park, and today there’s one for the Innovation Center. (I’ve no word on whether there will be upcoming celebrations for the warmest tech park afternoon in July, smallest squirrel to frolic nearby, or best children’s depiction of a taxpayer-funded…