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In the end, if the legislature were to decide to tear the building down, there should be a PLAN to replace that space in an attractive way that complies with the architecture of the downtown and encourages the redevelopment of a downtown that is a true downtown, not a mall. It takes imaginative, visionary, knowledgeable leadership.

What was forgotten was available parking. Yes, there’s a parking garage in the City that no one wants to use. The Clemens Center built next to a parkway that’s used as a race track for vehicles speeding through the City. Try crossing that, day or night, to get to the Center for an evening show. All poorly designed by “experts”. Tear the Arena down, set aside parking space, then build smaller buildings for retail, restaurants, bakeries, and other small speciality businesses to draw people to the area.

Seems like there is always a pay raise in the budget. I want to know how they will implement the new term limits after the first of the year. That was a landslide in favor.

This idea really does seem to escape them. The elected Legislature appointed the IDA, and now the IDA appointed a “group of experts” that they have yet to name in public. Perhaps the taxpayer “owners” would feel more at ease if we could have some dialogue and communication with whomever this anonymous group is that is running the Arena and spending our money?

Use of ARP funds by both the Legislature and the City of Elmira is incredibly wasteful and inappropriate.

What Mr Margeson “ Needs to understand “ is , we as the Owners …( Chemung County Taxpayers ) are just about sick and tired of the same old crap coming from the CCIDA ! We the Owners … yes remember us ? We have waited too long for a return on Our investment, now its time to quit with the blame passing onto former operators , they each in their turn were touted as the best in the business , but here we are with the same millstone around our necks that was foisted on us year ago by the City because they couldn’t make it work either ! So , CCIDA it’s time for you to get out of the Promotion business , bring in the bulldozers and turn the space into something more useful and less of a money suck . It was ill conceived from the very start by the City of Elmira and County Taxpayers have had their / our pockets picked for long enough !! That Mr Margeson is what we “ Understand “ all too well !

I would absolutely love for one of our county legislators to come on here and make the case for continued use of taxpayers' money to keep this place afloat. I say that with a completely open mind. Help me, and others, understand the rationale.

I want to say someone did this in Europe? But I don't recall for sure. But as Karen said, yeah, someone has to be first. Imagine taking that chance and seeing it flourish. That could be a whole new trend in senior living ( which is where I think the European thing came into play ). Live right there and walk down a climate controlled "street" to the grocery store, book shop, coffee shop, gym, etc? Hell yeah, sign me up!

Looks like the exact same type of press release that came from "developers" for the Arnot Mall some years ago. That went nowhere.

Let me get this straight, they didn't know about any of the zoning and tax issues yet were disgusted about it when they found out but it's the towns fault for finding out about improper zoning and the stations fault for reporting the news??? Even if it's all on Lowmaster, Bunce continued to operate the illegal opperations long after Lowmaster left mid summer. To get mad at the station and the town is laughable beyond belief.