Lame Duck pt II

Oak Hill, formerly Allequippa Terrace Public Housing, is in the news.

In one corner is the erstwhile lame duck mayor, still stinging from the initial efforts to rejuvenate/alter the site back at the beginning of his tenure, but apparently committed to follow through.

In the other corner is the dark, slumping master of Oakland, the University of Pittsburgh who, if the prophecy is to be believed, will consume the entire neighborhood, as is written in Revelations 6:10.

Housing or soccerfield? Neighborhood or Pitt? Long term payoff or short term payoff?

I'm working on the Cost/Benefit calculations as we speak. Keep your pants on. The CBA isn't the point right now.

The point is this:

[P]rojects that had 12 years to get underway are now going to get off the ground. The mayor has lots of friends in the private sector, aching for government work/money/approvals. The mayor-elect will have lots of friends too, also aching for government work/money/approvals. Some of these friends will be the same friends; others will not. Those that backed the wrong horse will cash in all their chits now, in the hope that inertia will carry projects along. The mayor will push & lean on the bureaucracy to issue commitments before the end of the year, thereby binding the next administration.

Just sayin'.