Oppose the Use of Public Funds for the Redevelopment at 303 Memorial City Way
Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for your support by signing this petition. Please see below for an important way to help the Memorial City Ice Rink stay open. Also, please come to the police v. firefighter hockey game at our beloved Memorial City Ice Rink at 8:15 pm on Saturday, July 11 (free entry - donations welcome for assisttheofficer.com (police) and houstonsbravest.org (firefighter).
If we ALL work together, we should be able to get an extension on the closure of the rink! We are asking that you send the email written below to your city council members, the mayor, and TIRZ 17 contacts so they can advocate for us and help us keep the ice rink open. MetroNational is negotiating with the city to use taxpayer dollars for their redevelopment plan and plans to present to TIRZ 17 soon. We have confirmation that the Mayor's Economic Development Office is reviewing MetroNational's proposal but has NOT made any commitment yet. If the city sees that there is enough opposition to this proposal, they can help us try to keep the rink open for as long as possible.
A simple copy & paste of the email below will take you only a few minutes and can prevent the rink from closing July 31. We need your help so that the rink stays open!
Thank you!
SAMPLE EMAIL:
To: mayor@houstontx.gov; cynthia.wilson@houstontx.gov; atlarge1@houstontx.gov; atlarge2@houstontx.gov; atlarge3@houstontx.gov; atlarge4@houstontx.gov; atlarge5@houstontx.gov; givens.ann@hotmail.com; sbean@haweshill.com; nmagon@haweshill.com; [ADD YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER EMAIL HERE] - Find Your Council Member
CC: gwendolyn.tillotson-bell@houstontx.gov; mary.benton@houstontx.gov; steven.david@houstontx.gov; lclayton@haweshill.com
Subject: Please Oppose the Use of Public Funds for the Redevelopment of 303 Memorial City Way
Dear Mayor Whitmire and Council Members Ramirez, Davis, Carter, Salinas, Alcorn, [ADD YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER HERE], Ms. Givens, Mr. Bean, and Ms. Magon:
Thank you for your service to the residents of Houston and for your commitment to making thoughtful decisions that strengthen our city. My name is ______________, and I am a Houston resident, taxpayer, and a member of the ice sports community at Memorial City. I am writing to respectfully ask for your assistance in protecting taxpayer resources and the need for honesty, adequate notice, and a reasonable transition period for our ice sports community.
It is my understanding that MetroNational is requesting taxpayer dollars to help fund its proposed redevelopment project at 303 Memorial City Way, which includes tearing down our beloved community ice rink (Ice Skate Memorial City). As a Houston taxpayer and constituent, I strongly oppose the use of any City of Houston resources, incentives, or public funding for this project unless MetroNational commits to keeping Ice Skate Memorial City open for at least one additional year, or until demolition is actually scheduled to begin, whichever occurs later.
One of my concerns is that MetroNational has not demonstrated the level of transparency or community engagement that should accompany a project seeking public support. Before any taxpayer resources are considered, I believe the City should carefully evaluate whether the developer has meaningfully engaged with the community and earned the public's trust. Here, MetroNational has done neither. MetroNational gave notice to the surrounding businesses two years ago that they would need to move, but has not been honest with our community for two years. Now MetroNational wants to pull the rug out from under us and then will ask us to fund their project.
MetroNational is seeking public financial participation for a redevelopment project that abruptly displaces one of Houston's largest ice sports communities with insufficient notice, despite giving notice to all the other businesses. Additionally, MetroNational has not yet received the required demolition permit for the project (Project #25115057). If MetroNational wants our tax dollars, MetroNational needs to right its wrong and be a good community partner by repairing the rink and keeping it open until MetroNational is ready to demolish it, which we know is not any time soon.
As a taxpayer, I do not believe public dollars should be used to subsidize a private redevelopment project that eliminates a valuable public asset with insufficient notice to the community. To ensure a reasonable transition period, I respectfully ask that you oppose the use of any City of Houston resources, incentives, or public funding of MetroNational's proposed redevelopment of 303 Memorial City Way unless MetroNational agrees to keep the rink open for at least one additional year, or until demolition is actually scheduled to begin, whichever occurs later. Specifically, I am requesting that you oppose TIRZ 17 funding and any City funding or other public incentive so that our taxpayer money is not used to abruptly and unnecessarily displace our athletes and our community. I am also requesting complete transparency and an opportunity for meaningful public input regarding any requests for City participation or public incentives related to this redevelopment before any City action is taken.
Repairing the rink and keeping it open for an additional year, or until demolition occurs, whichever is later, will allow our community to work on getting an ice rink built, which we could have been working on all along if MetroNational had given us two years' notice like all surrounding businesses. At that point, then we are fine with them having our tax dollars to fund their project. If MetroNational is unwilling to partner with the community, then we are opposed to them having our tax dollars.
Unfortunately, time is of the essence. MetroNational is planning to decommission the ice rink on August 1.
Thank you for your service to Houston and for your thoughtful consideration of this request. I appreciate your commitment to responsible stewardship of public resources and to policies that benefit the entire community.
Sincerely,
______________________
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