UPM Calls for Help for the Poor

United Pastors in Mission (UPM), a group of religious leaders and prominent Cleveland pastors met with Len Komoroski (center), CEO of Cleveland Cavaliers/Quicken Loans arena, to discuss requested tax dollars for a proposed renovating of Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.

United Pastors in Mission (UPM), a group of religious leaders and prominent Cleveland pastors met with Len Komoroski, CEO of Cleveland Cavaliers/Quicken Loans arena, to discuss requested tax dollars for a proposed renovating of Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.

The pastor group were seeking a community benefits agreement and covenant that would help to impact the conditions of distressed communities, the poor neighborhoods throughout the county, as the city and county engages in conversations impacting and focusing on the downtown areas.

The Quicken Loans Arena is working with Cleveland and Cuyahoga County requesting tax dollars to renovate the 22 year old Quicken Loans arena. The plan would call for more than $282 million over 17 years, with a loan interest and taxes will pay $160 million.

The UPM pastors agrees that Cleveland Cavaliers are among the greatest teams in the league and nation, and we must do all we can to keep the team in Cleveland with an excellent attractive facility, however the blight in the neighborhoods is being overlooked and the poor are being distressed even more and are tax payers need a better deal.

Cuyahoga County’s legislation to provide funds for the Q is something that UPM felt was needed, however the process moved too fast without the voice of faith-based leadership and others, other than the traditional voices to weigh in. While the downtown community is experiencing an explosive transformation in restaurants, housing and businesses, but inner city and neighborhoods are becoming food deserts with grocery stores, like Giant Eagle leaving the Buckeye area and jobs leaving with the businesses from the inner city.

The United Pastors in Mission is requesting more dialogue, input and communication to the community when community dollars are being spent and UPM plans to meet with Armond Budish, County Executive to discuss this in the near future. The pastors represents more than 100 churches in the Greater Cleveland area, of which many of them are located in the inner city of Cleveland. They concluded by saying, “We are All In” but “We are not Quite There Yet”, said

representatives from UPM.