Budgeted demolition?
It's great to see the old Monroe Paper Co. coming down to make way for what might be our historic River Raisin battlefield park. Man, do you see how much re-rod is in that building?
Anyway, did I read correctly that the city is advancing money from a water fund because the state grant for this work is being held up.
Did I miss council action on this or was it an administrative decision? Regardless, does this make anyone else just a little bit nervous?
Anyway, did I read correctly that the city is advancing money from a water fund because the state grant for this work is being held up.
Did I miss council action on this or was it an administrative decision? Regardless, does this make anyone else just a little bit nervous?
posted by The Observer at 6/03/2007 08:33:00 AM
12 Comments:
It would seems a little strange for "local" money to be used because of the grant hold up. Homrich isn't going anywhere and he made off with a sweetheart deal. Several actually from the city. Not only is he making 1.5 million off the demo, but he also swapped land to get the property across the street and he is involved with Monroe Recycling at the port. I understand we want to stay with Monroe companies for projects and there was a hurry to demo the building, but I think we would have been better off waiting until we were sure the money was in the bank. I wonder if they knew this would happen and they have had to justify the million plus fund finding project. Thinking the grant will eventually come through.
Not to mention, the longer Homrich isn't paid, it is in the contract that he gets to charge more money for holding his payment up.
Money was going to be lent from the water fund to the BRA, in an effort to keep the project rolling along. Turns out the grant was not held up as origianlly intended, so this will not be necessary.
BTW, Homrich bid this project along with other companies, and he was chosen, all legal and such. Regardless of what Homrich made on the land trade, demolition, or whatever is irrelevent. Mr. Homrich is a very good negotiator/businessman, and because of this he does well, no other reasons.
This grant, unlike the "Cool Cities Grant" which Iacoangeli had said was there to fix up the United Furniture building, is there and will pay the cost of demolition/remediation.
I think both light and cityresident are right. The grant, according to the MEN and other sources, was held up and it did require transferring funds to cover what amounted to a "stop loss" gap.
Because of this, I understand, that some workers were taken off the job and that work slowed down. I also understand that this slow down will cost the City more than expected, nearly one million more.
Funds may not have been forwarded to Homrich however they were approved to be moved from the Water fund.
Mr. Homrich is obviously a good business man. Both he and his company have a good reputation. That said, there is no question that he received a wonderful deal; paid to tear down the facility (which understand he is probably the only local company qualified and one of only a handful in Michigan), the company will receive the benefit of the scrap metal going through Monroe Recycling, the company will benefit from the land swap, the company certainly benefited from the sale of the building adjacent to the plant (next to river) to the Monroe County Historical Museum. I don't believe that light was making an inference that anything about the deal was unseemly or illegal. I think the deal is, what it is; Monroe politicians / planners / activist wanting to get a pet project done so they rush into it. Sadly, sometime this results in what is best described in military terms as a SNAFU or "situation normal all f****d up". The problem is that in doing this we fail to see the obvious problems that are in front of our face.
Consider this; do we think that the national park service is going to find it acceptable that a "recycling center" (R & M Recycling on Dixie Hwy) is operating less than 1/4 mile from the battlefield site? Isn't it sad that the actual site of the River Raisin Massacre is not attached to the plant area nor are there current plans on how this site will be attached or if it should include a village or other items. It is also sad that there are no plans to include the area where the battle began which is currently Hellenberg Field. Nor are there any plans to include the area where Gen. Winchester and the Kentucky Soldiers surrendered. Nor are there plans to include the area where Col. Allen (Kentucky Militia) was killed. Nor are, OK - you get the point. There are other problems that exist with the planning, or lack of planning, that involved this area. Sadly, what the National Park Service has been asked to review is but a very small portion of the land. Because much of the property is currently held by municipal governments (Monroe County, City of Monroe)I fear that this may have an impact - although Mr. Dingell is helping to ferry this issue. Further, I am not sure that having three groups; friends of 1812, War of 1812 Steering Committee, Monroe County Historical Society all trying to "guide" some of the input developing a consensus will not be easy.
Finally, there is no promise or guarantee that the grant will pay for all of the demolition of the building. On paper this is write - however, like the cost over run that has already been incurred there are no guarantees.
The question should be, why is the City putting so much into this site? How many visitors is this site likely to attract? How much tourism is this site likely to attract? If all that exists on the site is the visitors center and no live reenactments take place, then what will be the attraction? I think that Dundee got the best attractions when they worked with Cabela's to come in. One big attraction and now they have a waterpark, hotels, restaurants, etc. What the City will have is not going to spur economic growth, and it is the pipe dream of some local past politicians, historians, planners and activists which will only cost millions of dollars in taxpayer money to support. This piece of property should have been used for economic development, and a sustainable tax base for years to come. It seems that much property is being removed from our tax roles in order to accomplish what, and to benefit whom?
All writers above make good points. A decent dialog is refreshing. When you look at who the officers of the Historical Society are some little lights may come on to illuminate matters. Members are kept in the dark this is not a SNAFU, it is more like a finely tuned plan to legally churn and launder money,
The Battlefield is a better proposal that the garbage incinerator proposed to supply steam to the papermill a few years ago. The plan City Council, unknown investors, and Detroit Stoker failed because the investors could not be guaranteed a minimum of 800 tons of garbage a day.
So in other words, this is a plan to make our community better through no businesses, no jobs, no home ownership, and no future prospects?
Why is it that the City of Monroe is so against business? Why is it that we can push businesses out to Frenchtown, and then provide services to them? Wouldn't it be more productive to embrace business, work with them to develop a plan to hire our local work force, even if it meant tax breaks? Let me put it this way; Company A wants to open a business. They will hire forty people from the community, if they recieve a twelve year tax abatement. Let them have it, with open arms. The forty people who get the jobs will be able to continue paying for their homes. If we say no more tax abatements, then the company say no, and moves elseware. We get "$0.00" in taxes, plus we get forty homes on the market due to relocation or foreclosure, so then the property taxes will fall, thus forcing the raising of our taxes to help pick up the slack.
Somewhere "some people" lost track of the real reasons that people were here in the first place. JOBS and the QUALITY OF LIFE that those jobs brought. The war is over, and a papermill sat on the site for many years, providing a great life for many. Now we want to go back in time and live like people did in 1812? Geeez!!
In the previous topic, Fuel for thought, a question was asked to the tune of "what so wrong has the 3C coalition done" and as of yet there have been no responses. Guess the proof is in the pudding, so to say, in that none of this group of posters against this coalition, if it exists, has been able to bring even one item to light. Shows that some are just against them, no matter what they do, good included. I love Monroe politics.
There is a huge economic advantage to having this battlefield in the City of Monroe. Eco-tourism is expanding and with the addition of the trail from Sterling State Park to the City this will be a huge benefit.
There are many past, present and future events planned and conducted at the site and turnout is always reasonably good. There are live reenactments that have been and will be conducted in the future (9 June being the next one). There also needs to be an examination of the regional tourism strategy to address what could / should be done with this area.
Because we are talking about a site that is essentially and island in terms of what it could be used for it maybe best to allow it to become a nature preserve as abatement cost and constraints would run off many developers.
Jobs are a necessary in Monroe and I would expect that with the addition of Monroe Transfer, Back Yard Storage Solutions, Pre-Besto Homes, new site / property manager at LaPlaisance Road outlet mall, addition of new facilities at MacSteel some of these concerns will be addressed. Much still must be done to maintain some current employers; Detroit Stoker, DTE, Amhent. Along with addressing vacant sites; IKO, Modern Packaging.
I would like to understand the statement anonymous wrote: "it is more like a finely tuned plan to legally churn and launder money" regarding the battlefield.
The anonymous comment "it is more like a finely tuned plan to legally churn and launder money" may be a way of restating an old Yiddish Proverb “in confusion there is profit’.
David alkire Smith
In what way is the current administration blowing money? If you mean by following up on started projects, they shouldn't be held responsible. Kind of like the guy who screws up your lawn, so they start to replant it, and then leave, then you have to decide whether to continue on or just kill off the rest of the lawn.
I do agree on the comment about the Historical (secret) Society. That group needs to be investigated for sure.
Last anonymous - consider what you just wrote:
On one hand your statements are that the "current administration" is doing nothing wrong but continuing a project that they inherited. While this is true answer this question: Do they believe it is a worth while project? If they do then great, except, they are also guilty of wasteful spending and shortsighted planning (as this administration signed the contract with Homrich and completed the grant paperwork - along with matching funds). In essence they must agree with this project - as I do.
So, why are you so defensive?
On the other hand you make the statement that the Historical Society should be investigated - please expand on this and let us know why? Do you believe they have done something illegal or unethical? If so, don't you feel and ethical obligation to tell people as they receive funds from public resources?
Thank you for validating my comment about your education in English.
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