Development incentives tend to produce two predictable reactions. One side sees them as a practical tool to get difficult projects built. The other side sees them as a subsidy to private developers. In my experience, neither reaction is enough. The real issue I see is not whether incentives are good or bad in the abstract. The better question I ask is much more practical: What is the public buying, would it happen anyway, and is the return worth the cost? That question is becoming more important across South Florida. Cities, …
