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MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />AUGUST 15, 1995 <br />along Rice Street. Mr. Guerin pointed out that there <br />are one or two less gas stations in the past 20 years <br />on Rice Street between North Owasso Blvd. and Highway <br />36. <br />A qentleman stated that he felt if there was a market <br />for the business and the aesthetics of what is being <br />proposed were good, the development should be approved. <br />Fifield stated that it is a constant struggle for <br />cities to decide how much to guide development and how <br />much to simply allow to happen. <br />Mary Ann O'Kane asked how much control the City has in <br />seeing that a structure like the Market Place Shopping <br />Center is rehabilitated so the result is a nice-looking <br />building. <br />Fifield replied that the City can either offer <br />incentives to individual property owners to maintain <br />their buildings, or the City can acquire the property. <br />Bujold stated that the individual interested in <br />purchasing the Market Place does not view the shopping <br />center as viable in its present condition. There are <br />future plans for the Market Place to make it appealing <br />so that new tenants can be attracted and make the <br />shopping center viable. Bujold reported that after <br />talking with this individual she did not believe he <br />would purchase the shopping center and allow it to <br />continue to exist the way it is now. <br />Dick Boss reported that as the owner of a business on <br />Rice Street struggling to make improvements and pay <br />property taxes, his opinion has been against any <br />government funding going into buildings or the City <br />acquiring buildings. However, a low interest loan from <br />the City may be a workable idea that would allow <br />businesses to upgrade. <br />Fifield reported that they are not focusing solely on <br />bringing in new business. They do not want to forget <br />about or disrupt existing businesses. The first <br />guiding principal is to make Little Canada a good place <br />to do business. <br />One member of the audience stated that he believes <br />there are areas along Rice Street and Little Canada <br />Road that need to be upgraded. This gentleman <br />questioned extending Middle Street to connect to Rice <br />Street, suggesting that it go straight south and <br />11 <br />