Ron Faucheux, vice president of Government Advocacy for the 75,000-member AIA, said federal recovery efforts in affected areas, “need to ensure that long-term community planning and design quality are incorporated into every step of the rebuilding effort.”
Faucheux outlined the AIA’s legislative proposals:
• A $50 million federal grant program to fund ten "New Community" demonstration projects in the impacted areas. These grants would be packaged with other incentives in the proposed Gulf Opportunity Zones to finance immediate construction of a variety of mixed-use developments designed to serve as models of quality design and to spur job creation, new housing, and business opportunities in the hardest hit areas
• A $200 million "21st Century Schools: Demonstration Projects for Construction, Repair and Modernization." A proper built environment is vital to the health and safety of children in elementary and secondary schools. New, repaired and modernized educational facilities the region would serve as a catalyst for nearby economic and community development -- crucial to rebuilding and reinvestment
• New tax incentives and federal grants to assist in the preservation and rebuilding of damaged historic structures and homes
• Passage of federal and state “Good Samaritan” legislation that protects architects and other design professionals from tort liability during the voluntary provision of free services to governmental authorities in times of disaster and catastrophic events
• Incentives to encourage cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated brownfield sites through liability relief and tax breaks in the hurricane-impacted area
• Federal grants for local community planning efforts directed by local citizens and governments with involvement from architects and planning professionals
• Use of federal royalty payments from the leasing of offshore oil and gas concessions to acquire and maintain lands in areas impacted by Katrina as natural flood protection barriers and wildlife refuges
• A two-year property and sales tax holiday for residents and businesses in the affected counties, and parishes along with full federal reimbursement of lost revenues to local tax-recipient governmental bodies pegged at pre-Katrina levels. This would efficiently channel federal assistance to the affected areas by helping local governments provide basic services; avoid massive legal disputes involving property tax reassessments; protect governmental bond ratings; spur economic development through lower sales taxes on machinery, materials and equipment; and attract taxpayers and job creation through a stable business climate. For more information, go to the AIA Web site.
