Gentrification is a policy choice

When the policy is, "let's build a bunch of nice things for rich people and tourists," you end up with... a lot of nice things for rich people and tourists.

The thing is, the Jazz Market is not a public library. It’s a music venue that nets six-figure salaries for the guys at the top. It is also clearly not designed to serve the existing residents of Central City so much as it’s intended to serve as a tourist draw. The depiction of the Jazz Market as a “library” resource for Central City residents just doesn’t pass the smell test.

A discount store truly served Central City residents, but nobody was going to throw grants and low-interest loans at that kind of project. No branch of government or nonprofit was going to float money to Gator’s to keep it open.