Wow! Strong Opinions on City's $1.14 Million Incentives to Walgreens

Batavians have strong opinions about the $1.14 million incentives that the city is offering Walgreens so it can tear down the old building and build a new one. Some say, "Goodbye, Walgreens," while others say it's just wise to keep that important merchant as an anchor in downtown Batavia.

You can read the news article here.

• Jen Baxley Sunleaf What will happen to the existing Walgreens?
  
  
• Joe Knopp If they don't get a new building, they said they would leave.....maybe with a new building as a neighbor, another merchant will be enticed to move in

• Raquelle Buss Isn't the mural painted on the back of the old prairie path cycles building?

• Jean Tomassone If it's the city's money(our money) it's too much. If it's Walgreens money go for it.

• Dan Pedreyra Question is.....where else does that money go?

• Beth Ritchason Walgreens is one of the richest corporations in America do they really need my money as incentive? Jebus Cripes...

• Nell Thelin Novak Correct me if I wrong... (it's Facebook, so I'm sure that won't be a problem :-)) It's the City money. It's TIFF that is reserved to support business development. And yes, entirely too much to support development of a business such as Walgreens. The parking for $1 is a sale of *city land* to the developer to use for Walgreens-only parking.Too bad the picture above doesn't depict the HUGE Walgreens sign that will greet people as they drive through town (at a snail's pace because of all the traffic congestion the drive through and new traffic pattern will cause). Ugh...

• Beth Ritchason I feel any money spent in Batavia gets a boost from my taxes...TIFF or no TIFF....it all starts with the residents and we pay for all of it...

• Heidi Winkle Molenhouse The $1 price tag for the parking lot really annoys me. Charge for the property so that we have the $ to provide much needed parking elsewhere in the downtown.

• Ellen Posledni Thank you for your vote, Lucy Thelin Atac

• Grazia Francioli Bittner Yes yes yes i didnt move here for Walgreens

• Nell Thelin Novak I just read the article. I can't believe only 2 aldermen voted no. Well, yes I can.

• Richard Federman Don't forget those POOR kids still need a swimming pool at the high school !!!

• Eulojio Ortega Yeah, it's way way too much. Flat out tell them zero incentives and see what happens. I'll eat my hat if they walk away 

• Megan Watson If no one is willing to spend any money our downtown will continue to have subpar at best. There's a reason Geneva and StC have beautiful, revenue building downtowns: they invested money to build them and now reap the rewards. I wish Batavians were better at seeing the big picture and understood future planning.

• Dawn Oxe Moecher Adios Walgreens!

• Laurel Stanard Flinn Walgreens is the anchor for downtown Batavia. They serve the nearby senior housing and other nearby residences and businesses for their many needs. I would hate to see downtown Batavia become vacant and desolate. I think Walgreens is doing Batavia a favor by staying in a less than thriving downtown.

• Holly Meyer Sparks Finally!!!!!!

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