Public Subsidies

Post-Mortem: Why Amazon Canceled the Queens HQ2
New York City and State offered up nearly $3 billion in incentives to lure Amazon and its 25,000 high-paying jobs to Queens only to see the tech company cancel their plans after local opposition materialized. Was their retreat too hasty?

Tax Deal Paves Way for Atlanta's Gulch Mega-Project
The city of Atlanta approved its largest development project since the 1960s back in November, but still needed the school district to sign off on a funding plan to help for the $1.9 billion in public subsidies that will support the project.

Little Caesars Arena as Catalytic Development
In exchange for generous public subsidies, Illitch Holdings, owner and developer of the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, promised large-scale economic development.

Houston Requires Community Benefits for Development Subsidies
Houston joins cities like Philadelphia, Detroit, and Minneapolis in demanding a greater return on public dollars.

David Beckham's Big Idea: A New Soccer Stadium in Miami, With Zero Parking Spaces
A group led by David Beckham is working to build a stadium in Miami that would house a Major League Soccer team. There are two twists (besides Becks): the stadium would require zero public financing and the stadium would build zero parking.
Big Development Investments Expected to Follow New Detroit Red Wings Arena
Developers are predicting that the new $627.5 million arena to house the Detroit Red Wings, paid for with both private and public money, will spur another $596 million of investment in the neighborhood.
Detroit Strikes Deal to Move Red Wings Stadium Forward
A plan to build a new, $450 million hockey arena along the Cass Avenue corridor near Downtown Detroit has already faced criticism for its generous public subsidies. The City Council recently made sure the public will get something in return.
New Detroit Red Wings Arena: Plenty of Public Subsidies; Few Public Benefits
One writer takes issue with the city of Detroit's decision to subsidize a $450 million arena plan for the Detroit Red Wings. The Ilitch family, owners of the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings, are worth $3.6 billion.

On the Land Use and Transit Implications of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'
The decision of where to locate ballparks, and to what extent the public should subsidize that location, can have ripple effects throughout the land use and transportation systems of a region.
Philly's Ugliest New Building Shows the Folly of Public Subsidies
Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has the knives out for a new hotel built in Center City, calling it the 'worst new architecture' in the city. Worse yet, we all helped pay for such awful design.
Unveiling the Municipal Subsidy Hall of Shame
Daniel Denvir's article will have you thinking twice about whether your elected officials should be dedicating public resources to support the newest mega-project in your city as he explores "Great Moments in the History of Boondoggles."
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