books and culture
Town v. Gown A new book argues that many urban universities have their cities over a barrel.
Cities
Economy, finance, and budgets
In this thought-provoking account of contemporary town-gown tensions, Davarian L. Baldwin writes: “when most of the United States had abandoned cities in the mid-twentieth century, higher education was one of the only institutions that remained.” These universities either built on the urban-fortress model, like Chicago, or with buildings that jostle among others, like NYU became ever more important to urban economies.
Meantime, as state funding for higher ed trended down, universities turned to real estate as a source of income, often snapping up properties near campus with an eye either to future expansion or asset appreciation. As commercial landlords, universities enjoy a competitive advantage in the property market, thanks to their nonprofit tax status. Acquiring properties also gives them considerable contr
Pat Bradley/WAMC
The city and town of Plattsburgh have reached a truce. First-term Democratic city Mayor Chris Rosenquest and Democratic Town Supervisor Michael Cashman announced what they’re calling a Global Community Compact Monday.
The deal is expected to conclude lawsuits between the town including a dispute over a 1992 Payment In Lieu Of Taxes, or PILOT, agreement between the city and town over the Falcon Seaboard parcel. The city of Plattsburgh sued the town in 2018, claiming breach of contract. The town countersued two months later.
“Awaiting official passage by our boards, this global settlement not only resolves a number of the past issues that we’ve faced, but it will also set our municipalities up for future partnerships that will change the face of our region and change the face of upstate New York,” said Mayor Rosenquest.