Thank you for this article (“If you’re not pissed off, you’re not paying attention: What Orlando could learn from St. Petersburg’s war over The Lens,” Aug. 26). I support the creation of a soccer stadium but I don’t support the idea that it, the Citrus Bowl, Amway Center, etc. are economic drivers. The reason to support the OCSC is because they are good for the city in a lot of intangible ways, not because they are going to be some powerhouse economic engine. I support the arts center for the same reason (although the implementation of that has been a mess). If the city wants to see the economic impact of something, they shouldn’t rely on the house economists of whoever wants the project to go through for their facts.
Glowworm, via orlandoweekly.com
This seems like a decent idea in theory, and might actually benefit the entire city, not just the team owners … which, of course, means it has absolutely no chance of happening (“Soapboxer: A modest proposal,” Sept. 4). DeVos, Rawlins, and Da Silva don’t give a toss what the man on the street in Orlando has to say. Their main objective is extracting the maximum amount of resources they can from residents, while simultaneously passing themselves off as benefactors to the region. I hate to state the obvious, but that strategy is working quite well for that bunch. And they have no reason to believe the gravy train will be derailed anytime soon, either. This is Orlando, Florida. This is our lot.
KTA, via orlandoweekly.com
Truly bummed to see this vision peter out (“Urban ReThink closes its doors,” Sept. 4). I loved the Urban ReThink concept … in theory. Really applaud everyone involved for giving this concept a try. Orlando is still growing as a creative community. As a writer … I wasn’t able to be productive there. I write best at home. But in my marketing work, I found Urban ReThink to be an ideal meeting space for client sessions. I wish the team there all the best. Some truly great souls involved with the ReThink initiative.
Cris Gladly, via orlandoweekly.com
