According to the new “Build the Block” website, “The Block will embrace the concepts of new urbanism to encourage a scenic, walkable community where people live, work and enjoy leisure activities.”

Where people live? Where exactly are people going to live on this block? Because I don’t see any apartments, condos, or hotel rooms in their plans. Heck, I don’t even see a habitable second story on any of the buildings. Or are they referring to the homeless who will camp out in the ample green space at night when the block is dead?

You can’t fool people into thinking that this block “embrace[s] the concepts of new urbanism” when it manifestly does not. Just saying it’s new urban doesn’t make it so.

Also, from the Journal Star article today:

“Caterpillar has already put $56 million on the table that would all go away if the museum isn’t built,” Brad McMillan, the spokesman for the museum collaboration group, said. “We need to ask: Is it in central Illinois’ best interest that Caterpillar drive deep stakes in this community?”

First of all, it’s interesting that the group has a new spokesman. Is he their first official spokesman, or does he replace someone else? I don’t recall. Secondly — and I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating — notice that the museum group is now using fear and intimidation to get you to support the museum.

Follow the logic here — if we build it, it means Cat “drive[s] deep stakes in this community.” The implication is, if we don’t build it, then Cat will not have “deep stakes” here, meaning they could go away and take all their jobs and prestige with them. Ergo, we should hand over our money to this museum because otherwise our city will face economic ruin as our biggest employer moves out of town.

I find that line of reasoning offensive, and to hear leaders like Mayor Ardis and Sen. Koehler parrot the rhetoric is very disappointing. What kind of leadership is that? Either the museum on its own merits is good for the region and worth the investment or it’s not. What Cat will or will not do is immaterial. If Cat told us they would leave unless we all stood on our heads or jumped off the Murray Baker Bridge or built a big $100 million golden statue of a tractor in the middle of the Illinois River, would our leaders be encouraging us to do so? It sounds like it.

Not only that, but as astute commenter Dirk pointed out in a previous post, “If the only thing keeping Caterpillar in Peoria is this museum complex, and nothing else, then I would venture that Caterpillar isn’t very committed to staying in Peoria anyway. Why would a museum [solely] keep Caterpillar anchored here in Peoria? Business is business and economics and not about some amalgam of buildings for tourists or visitors.”

It should be noted, again, that Caterpillar is not making any threats themselves. All they’ve said is that they’ll only build their visitors center if the museum is built next to it. They haven’t said anything about this project deepening their ties with Peoria. Thus, there’s no promise of longevity from them if we build it and no threat of moving if we don’t. The only ones inserting fear and insinuation into this matter are the museum cheerleaders.

Finally, there’s this:

“This is the (Peoria) Civic Center moment of our generation,” said Michael Bryant, the president and CEO of Methodist Medical Center….

The only thing that’s analogous to the Civic Center is that it would require a permanent sales tax to support it. Fortunately, this time the voters will get to decide if that tax is levied.