Trinity Church What Does City Hall Know?

[Jim O'Bryan]

City Administration seems to be in a huge hurry to buy up Trinity Church for 600,000 times what they sold Lakewood Hospital for in the preferred Lakewood DowntowN area. They are desperate to push this through and obtain the property, the clean up costs, the asbestos abatement and all future liabilities on the property.

Why?

They claim they have spoken to no developers or potential buyers which we know is a lie, as they admitted to speaking with Wendy's in the past.

Recently I have conversations with two elected officials who have told me, "They city has spoken to no one and that is all I can go on." I told them, all I can go on is their past history of lying and misrepresenting everything from closing the hospital, to the sale of McKinley, the opening of businesses, the redevelopment of Detroit, and on and on. I also mentioned their seemingly unfulfilled desperate need to develop the entire city in their image, before they retire or die as they are most over 60 years of age. They have blown through the millions left by Dick Jacobs like a drunken sailor, and I am sure they have already spent the $1.00 they got for the hospital too.

So with a long history of lying, and even longer history of covering up their schemes, including lying to members of council, their history of zero accountability and a City Council seemingly unwilling to hold them accountable for their actions. What is the plan. We know there is one, we also know it is a secret, so City Hall what is the story?

Residents deserve to know and understand why you are spending our money, on something that could costs us millions in the long run.

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[Michael Deneen]

The current administration still has 14 months left, so I am also puzzled by their haste.
They've already bitten off more than they can chew with the hospital, and now they want to start another mess.

It's possible that they are getting heat from Wendy's to resurrect and fast track the previous proposal.
Wendy's has been demolishing and remodeling many of its stores, and I doubt they want to make that investment in the panhandler-infested W. 117th location.

I'm sure they'd prefer to shutter the W. 117 store and open a new location in downtown Lakewood.
Naturally, Wendy's will deny that the W. 117 store is closing up until the day that Lakewood location is ready. (a la Lakewood Hospital "moving" to Avon)

[Jim O'Bryan]

The current administration still has 14 months left, so I am also puzzled by their haste.
They've already bitten off more than they can chew with the hospital, and now they want to start another mess.

It's possible that they are getting heat from Wendy's to resurrect and fast track the previous proposal.
Wendy's has been demolishing and remodeling many of its stores, and I doubt they want to make that investment in the panhandler-infested W. 117th location.

I'm sure they'd prefer to shutter the W. 117 store and open a new location in downtown Lakewood.
Naturally, Wendy's will deny that the W. 117 store is closing up until the day that Lakewood location is ready. (a la Lakewood Hospital "moving" to Avon)

Mike

W117 is a private franchise not chain owned. The owner does not need $$, was just rebuilt after fire a couple years ago, and lives nearby. Though it is not a new style Wendy's. I was told Wendy's passed because the residents in the area were outraged the city would allow it at what has become another nightmare Lakewood intersection on Detroit Ave.

However, there are some other ideas floating out there I have heard. From Charter School to non-profit, to wonderful new townhouses.

The real problem as I understand it is, City of Lakewood takes on all of the liability once we touch it. And then there is the offering $600,000 for a postage stamp size lot, after selling acres of prime space in DowntowN for $1.00. Pretty soon these bad deals add up.

What is there hurry, a combination of making look like they are doing something, desperation and their advanced age. Then there is the develop blocked mindset, where now they have to develop anything all the time. On the bright side, odds would say sooner or later they could make a deal that actually succeeds and or breaks even.

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[Mark Kindt]

Let me make a few observations

1. Given that this real estate has been on the market and has not been sold, there appears to be little or no market interest in the property at the prices on offer from the real estate broker.

2. So far, there does not appear to be a reasonable public justification for the City of Lakewood to acquire the real estate other than the inability of the owner(s) to sell it at market rate.

3. If the real estate assets are tainted by the historical use of asbestos there is even less public justification for the City of Lakewood to make the purchase.

If the city administration's goal is to purchase the property at or near the owner's asking price and then conduct an asbestos remediation (and tear-down) at the City's expense, then the owner(s) are receiving quite a nice windfall financially.

The windfall grows larger to the extent that the City a.) assumes liabilities related to the real estate (such as asbestos) and b.) indemnifies the owner(s) or subsequent purchasers for the assumed liabilities.

So what might this look like?

$625,000 Purchase of real estate

$600,000 Asbestos remediation with site preparation (conjectured)

Range of Liability: $0.00 to $3,000,000 Value of assumed liabilities related to unknown, future asbestos injuries (high end: 10 legal settlements at $300,000 each) (conjectured)

If I were the lawyer for the developer, it would be my goal to make sure that the City retained all of the historical liability risks related to both the asbestos remediation/abatement and the potential for future lawsuits related to that asbestos. Additionally, I would seek indemnification by the City for such historic liability risks.

Even if this property was later sold to a developer for the full $625,000, you can see how the transaction can be structured to provide other financial benefits to a developer.

All of this can be done on a legal and ethical basis free of conflicts-of-interest or insider participation. If not, then we are back to square one.

[Stan Austin]

where was the exact interaction between the property owner and the City? And, why? This should be a normal hands off 3rd party transaction.

[Mark Kindt]

It Is A Warts-And-All Purchase

2.10 As-Is Conveyance. Buyer agrees that, upon the closing, Buyer shall be deemed to have accepted the property in its then existing condition, “as is, where is and with all faults” without representation or warranty of any kind or nature by Seller except as expressly set forth in this agreement or the transfer documents.

If there is asbestos on the real estate -- guess what? -- taxpayers will own it.

[Jim O'Bryan]

where was the exact interaction between the property owner and the City? And, why? This should be a normal hands off 3rd party transaction.

Stan

There are some things they City can actually do and facilitate much better than a property owner. They can also help move things into different areas and venues, and of course land bank, which could be good, or not be good. If Lakewood had land banked property 25 years ago, like some homes on Belle, we could be reaping the rewards. Had the City land banked the homes and buildings on Detroit or one lot back, parking would not be an issue today. They are many things that COULD make this a good deal. But there are some that make it a potential bad deal.Based on the City's history of failures, cover-ups and secrecy I tend to lean towards OK, what is this nightmare?

As Mark has pointed out, there could be a lot to lose in this gamble.

Let's hope this is a good one, and they prove my fears unfounded!

Fingers crossed.

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[Mark Kindt]

City of Lakewood -- Buyer of Last Resort

Another not-for-profit just gets a bail-out?

Municipality manages asbestos remediation for a religious non-profit?

Anybody see a First Amendment problem here?

Anybody seen a Phase I environmental report on these real estate parcels?

This gets more interesting by the minute.

[Mark Kindt]

where was the exact interaction between the property owner and the City? And, why? This should be a normal hands off 3rd party transaction.

Stan

There are some things they City can actually do and facilitate much better than a property owner. They can also help move things into different areas and venues, and of course land bank, which could be good, or not be good. If Lakewood had land banked property 25 years ago, like some homes on Belle, we could be reaping the rewards. Had the City land banked the homes and buildings on Detroit or one lot back, parking would not be an issue today. They are many things that COULD make this a good deal. But there are some that make it a potential bad deal.Based on the City's history of failures, cover-ups and secrecy I tend to lean towards OK, what is this nightmare?

As Mark has pointed out, there could be a lot to lose in this gamble.

Let's hope this is a good one, and they prove my fears unfounded!

Fingers crossed.

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Mr. O'Bryan, I am ever the optimist, but given the record of the city administration since 2012, I would not get my hopes up.

I have not seen any evidence or any argument that this is anything but another City boondoggle driven by development goals.

To me this looks like a bail-out leading to another developer give-away; all at taxpayer expense.

But, so far, it looks like a relatively small boondoggle.

I'm a relic from the 20th Century. My beliefs and my concerns are those of a faded generation walking-off the stage.

Mr. Bullock and Mr. O'Leary are the future. You must follow them. . .

[Jim O'Bryan]

Mr. O'Bryan, I am ever the optimist, but given the record of the city administration since 2012, I would not get my hopes up.

I have not seen any evidence or any argument that this is anything but another City boondoggle driven by development goals.

To me this looks like a bail-out leading to another developer give-away; all at taxpayer expense.

But, so far, it looks like a relatively small boondoggle.

I'm a relic from the 20th Century. My beliefs and my concerns are those of a faded generation walking-off the stage.

Mr. Bullock and Mr. O'Leary are the future. You must follow them. . .

Mark

First, Tom Bullock and Mini-Me Tom Bullock. One is always late for a meeting, the other can never keep a meeting. Hardly following them anywhere.

I agree, and I pointed it out in the conversation, and in the thread.

This administration has earned ZERO trust. They openly lie and mislead, then they cover up their lies, then they hide their lies, they then destroy proof of their lies, then they send thugs out to silence the critics. Even when residents use the courts, they lie in the courts, they stonewall, they file false affidavits, they kill investigations, and generally thumb their nose at the courts and the residents with impunity. When they doesn't work they start various false groups to help them cover-up destroying and trampling on residents first amendment s right for merely asking questions or telling the truth.

$600,000 here, $2.5 million there, $200 million here and it adds up. It adds up to the city needing to sell millions and millions of acres needing at $1 to ever catch up.

Now another wrench in the mix, "Well what about the historical value of the building?"

Lakewood, and the Historical Society have turned their back on the Giel/Hall House, given to them, and space given to them to move it to. Now empty lot, soon to be outdoor beer and food truck venue. McKinley School, now ticky tacky boxes, Heidiloff Mansion, gone. Soon Hospital gone, BOE building gone, Last movie theater in town, last vaudeville theater in town, and soon Curtis Block wallowed up by a multi-use strip mall. And this church is precious? More precious than all the rest?

At some point real leaders will step up, and be honest, accountable and transparent and lead us into our future.

But for now, those words merely appear on the City's website in a desperate effort to hide the truth, that residents are still not getting the paperwork they went to court to fight to see, were ruled public, and now are probably destroyed. When every resident sees those words on the City Website, they should get sick and remember the search for honesty, Transparency and Accountability at City Hall now starts at the Ballot Box.

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[Mark Kindt]

Mr. O'Bryan, I am ever the optimist, but given the record of the city administration since 2012, I would not get my hopes up.

I have not seen any evidence or any argument that this is anything but another City boondoggle driven by development goals.

To me this looks like a bail-out leading to another developer give-away; all at taxpayer expense.

But, so far, it looks like a relatively small boondoggle.

I'm a relic from the 20th Century. My beliefs and my concerns are those of a faded generation walking-off the stage.

Mr. Bullock and Mr. O'Leary are the future. You must follow them. . .

Mark

First, Tom Bullock and Mini-Me Tom Bullock. One is always late for a meeting, the other can never keep a meeting. Hardly following them anywhere.

I agree, and I pointed it out in the conversation, and in the thread.

This administration has earned ZERO trust. They openly lie and mislead, then they cover up their lies, then they hide their lies, they then destroy proof of their lies, then they send thugs out to silence the critics. Even when residents use the courts, they lie in the courts, they stonewall, they file false affidavits, they kill investigations, and generally thumb their nose at the courts and the residents with impunity. When they doesn't work they start various false groups to help them cover-up destroying and trampling on residents first amendment s right for merely asking questions or telling the truth.

$600,000 here, $2.5 million there, $200 million here and it adds up. It adds up to the city needing to sell millions and millions of acres needing at $1 to ever catch up.

Now another wrench in the mix, "Well what about the historical value of the building?"

Lakewood, and the Historical Society have turned their back on the Giel/Hall House, given to them, and space given to them to move it to. Now empty lot, soon to be outdoor beer and food truck venue. McKinley School, now ticky tacky boxes, Heidiloff Mansion, gone. Soon Hospital gone, BOE building gone, Last movie theater in town, last vaudeville theater in town, and soon Curtis Block wallowed up by a multi-use strip mall. And this church is precious? More precious than all the rest?

At some point real leaders will step up, and be honest, accountable and transparent and lead us into our future.

But for now, those words merely appear on the City's website in a desperate effort to hide the truth, that residents are still not getting the paperwork they went to court to fight to see, were ruled public, and now are probably destroyed. When every resident sees those words on the City Website, they should get sick and remember the search for honesty, Transparency and Accountability at City Hall now starts at the Ballot Box.

.

The draft sales agreement tells us that the seller of the church building retains the right to remove all the valuable stained glass. This tells me we are on the way to a windowless church building that will be demolished. All the buildings on the purchased parcels will be leveled for redevelopment. The city administration has already argued that the city cannot afford to maintain unoccupied buildings -- too expensive, too dangerous.

This is the bail-out of another non-profit by the city and a future real-estate give-away to a developer.

[Mark Kindt]

Previously, I said that I thought the purchase of this property was a relatively "small boondoggle".

Now that I know the City of Lakewood faces hundreds of millions of dollars in future infrastructure upgrade costs for its sewer system, I can't imagine why the purchase of this real estate would ever be considered at all.

If the figure in the Mayor's October 1st letter to City Council is real -- $274,000,000 -- I have to ask myself two questions:

1. How long have have these estimates been kept under wraps?

2. Is Lakewood effectively bankrupt?

[Dan Alaimo]

"2. Is Lakewood effectively bankrupt?"

Now there's a startling question I'd really like to see answered.

[cmager]

"2. Is Lakewood effectively bankrupt?"
Now there's a startling question I'd really like to see answered.

Morally bankrupt city leadership, or financially bankrupt balance sheet?

[Jim O'Bryan]

"2. Is Lakewood effectively bankrupt?"
Now there's a startling question I'd really like to see answered.

Morally bankrupt city leadership, or financially bankrupt balance sheet?

Cmager


They are not mutually exclusive.

Actually, there is even more startling news and facts about to emerge.

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