3 ms·

Check out Lebanon NJ. Still massive tracks of farmland and woods. 50 miles from midtown, currently with property for sale at $50k/acre. 5 mile radius is approxi

by jmpman 5y ago

Check out Lebanon NJ. Still massive tracks of farmland and woods. 50 miles from midtown, currently with property for sale at $50k/acre. 5 mile radius is approximately 50k acres. At $50k/acre = $2.5B. With construction costs of $1B for an 18 mile run in Chicago, the Boring company could make this Lebanon <-> Manhattan for $2.5B. $5B for a 30min commute to Midtown Manhattan, and to break even, you’d only have to sell the land you acquired at $50k/acre at $100k/acre. I’d happily buy a 1 acre plot of land with a 30 min commute time to Midtown for $100k.

bobthepanda 5y ago
Lebanon NJ the town is covered entirely by a historic district. Like I said, you can't just do whatever you want and disregard local zoning if you own land. > With construction costs of $1B for an 18 mile run in Chicago, the Boring company could make this Lebanon <-> Manhattan for $2.5B. This is vaporware until it actually happens. Maglevs and monorails and personal rapid transit were also supposed to be significantly cheaper than their traditional counterparts, until they weren't. I could promise you HSR for $1, that doesn't mean I can make it happen.
- jmpman 5y ago
  Right, you need Lebanon NJ residents to decide they’d prefer doubling their property value to some crumbling old buildings. Disney was able to have his way in Orlando. It can be done.
  - bobthepanda 5y ago
    Presumably if they went above and beyond normal local zoning restrictions with a historic district they care more than your average American. And presumably if you could make a bunch of Americans magically consider massive redevelopment on that scale, it would be more fruitful to do it in a place closer in where you don't have to spend billions of dollars on transportation infrastructure, or the other billions of dollars establishing services like water supply, a grid with adequate capacity, schools, fire, police, medical services, etc. Sidewalk Labs wanted to be in the middle of the action on the Toronto waterfront, not in the undeveloped boonies.

by jmpman 5y ago

bobthepanda 5y ago

Lebanon NJ the town is covered entirely by a historic district. Like I said, you can't just do whatever you want and disregard local zoning if you own land. > With construction costs of $1B for an 18 mile run in Chicago, the Boring company could make this Lebanon <-> Manhattan for $2.5B. This is vaporware until it actually happens. Maglevs and monorails and personal rapid transit were also supposed to be significantly cheaper than their traditional counterparts, until they weren't. I could promise you HSR for $1, that doesn't mean I can make it happen.

jmpman 5y ago
Right, you need Lebanon NJ residents to decide they’d prefer doubling their property value to some crumbling old buildings. Disney was able to have his way in Orlando. It can be done.
- bobthepanda 5y ago
  Presumably if they went above and beyond normal local zoning restrictions with a historic district they care more than your average American. And presumably if you could make a bunch of Americans magically consider massive redevelopment on that scale, it would be more fruitful to do it in a place closer in where you don't have to spend billions of dollars on transportation infrastructure, or the other billions of dollars establishing services like water supply, a grid with adequate capacity, schools, fire, police, medical services, etc. Sidewalk Labs wanted to be in the middle of the action on the Toronto waterfront, not in the undeveloped boonies.