Comments on: Trying to Make the Desert Bloom https://www.isegoria.net/2013/09/trying-to-make-the-desert-bloom/ From the ancient Greek for equality in freedom of speech; an eclectic mix of thoughts, large and small Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:05:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Tschafer https://www.isegoria.net/2013/09/trying-to-make-the-desert-bloom/comment-page-1/#comment-944189 Tschafer Fri, 06 Sep 2013 16:23:55 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=32592#comment-944189 Good, point, Mr. Sykes. And to be honest, the idea that we should ALL applaud greater urban density, electric cars, and TED talks is kind of creepy all by itself.

]]> By: Bob Sykes https://www.isegoria.net/2013/09/trying-to-make-the-desert-bloom/comment-page-1/#comment-944028 Bob Sykes Fri, 06 Sep 2013 12:04:37 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=32592#comment-944028 In 1989, Lazarus, Inc., and others developed the Columbus City Center, a 1.2 M sq ft, three story shopping mall in the center of the City. In 2009, it was closed because of black gang violence. In 1964, a group of merchants (again including Lazarus) had opened Northland Mall on the northern edge of the City. Again, this Mall was closed by black gang violence in 2004.

The City itself claims these closures and others were due to competition from other, newer malls. This is true in part, but the newer malls prospered because they are far from the ghetto, and the black gangs couldn’t get to them.

So, does Hsieh have a plan to prevent black and Mexican gangs from bringing their war to his development? Will LA police it and suppress gang activity? I give his development 10 years.

Take a look at Detroit’s Renaissance Center. Originally built in the 1970s for over $300M, then sold to GM for only $76M twenty years later. GM spent $500M to refurbish it, and now surrounded by the Heart of Darkness. A total of $1B wasted because of delusion.

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