Fruin showed up – vote was 8-1 to spend staff time and around $25,000 on consultants so the issue can be examined. An answer has to be reached in 4-5 weeks. NOBODY asked why the building owners haven’t been held accountable for the condition or how much they and the developer will make off taxpayers.
By: Diane Benjamin
The buzz about tonight’s meeting is this: Vote to spend staff time further exploring the developers offer, or RUN.
This is a refreshing twist, especially after many many staff hours were wasted exploring Paradigm before anybody knew the City was seriously exploring the idea.
The question is an easy one:
- if this is a backroom deal to bail people out – it’s a NO
- if demolition isn’t put out to bid – it’s a NO
- if taxpayers are forced to buy and bond the property – it’s a NO
The vote will be 8-1, unless a couple of others realize that Bloomington taxpayers have seen enough gambling losses of their tax dollars. I hear Fruin will be absent and not calling in, so make that 7-1.
Maybe Tari and the potted plants can use their own money. If crowds are going to flood to downtown like they say, it’s a gold mine.
Major retailers are still closing 1000’s of stores. Fat chance of landing an anchor in downtown Bloomington. Seriously? My gawd the stupidity runs rampant at shitty hall.
Empire Street (Colonial Plaza) across from Eastland Mall looks like a ghost town. Even the Shell gas station has moved out.
8 Million dollars! WTF??
http://www.wjbc.com/2015/05/04/bloomington-moving-forward-with-downtown-demolition-plan/
Glad I’m moving out of B-N! The stupidity here is astounding.
So from the WJBC website,,,”“The exciting point is it opens up the entire development world that has a dream or idea for that property,” said Giebelhausen. “I’m not going to narrow it down and say what it might be. It could be mixed use, retail with office, retail with office with residential, hotel with retail, who knows? It becomes a blank canvas.”
Alderman Scott Black said the plan could be extremely beneficial.
“We are right there at the precipice of becoming this wonderful area,” Black said. “And we can invest properly and see development nurtured down the road. That’s what I find exciting.”
Wow finally a transparent statement, that [$8 million for a blank canvas] has got to be the most truthful statement by these group of crooks ever.
Mr. Black also said that after the staff and consultant provide the council with detailed information, they, “the Council” should take the information “with a grain of salt.” Does he really understand that phrase or is the Council going to ignore staff and paid consultants again? Given recent history, I’m afraid I know the answer.
Why not ask the question how much is Giebelhausen buying the Huff and Peoples Bank properties for? How much is demolition and how much does he stand to profit from this leaving a blank canvas for the City? He is probably going to be tied in to profiting from bringing in anyone that wants to build on those properties? What is his connection to Merle Huff?
Looks like Giebelhausen wanted to have the Peoria Heights council buy a piece of property…they were smart enough to say no. Looks like his proposal seriously changed over time
PEORIA HEIGHTS — Nearly one month past a missed deadline to buy the former Cohen’s Furniture warehouse, the proposal to convert the building into apartments and retail shops has reached a critical point, developer Jeff Giebelhausen said Tuesday.
“We’re up against a final decision on whether to proceed,” Giebelhausen said. “It’s very fluid. The project could die, or it could be extended.”
By a 4-1 vote in September, the Peoria Heights Village Board approved a $7.5 million bond issue contribution to the $23 million project in the only tax-increment financing district in the village. The money, that would theoretically be recouped by the village through increased property taxes from the finished apartment complex and sales taxes from the project’s retail shops, was contingent on Giebelhausen purchasing the property by Dec. 20.
But after the board vote, plans changed considerably when the developer learned that structural issues made it impossible to fit 124 apartment units in the 127,000-square-foot brick-and-concrete warehouse building. An evolved plan called for 20 to 30 units inside the old building and 80 to 100 more in a new free-standing building on the property.
The changes were significant enough to nullify the board vote and require Giebelhausen to return with a new proposal to consider. He never did, although he did continue to have contact with village officials about the Cohen’s building. At one point, he suggested the project could move forward if the village agreed to purchase the $2.2 million building, according to Giebelhausen and village officials.
“We threw out ideas,” Giebelhausen said. “(Village officials) were not interested (in buying the property).”
Mayor Mark Allen underscored the village’s opposition to buying the property to keep the Giebelhausen project viable.
“Jeff is free to present a new package to the board, but the only rumblings we heard as of late was more of a residential feel only, with hopes of retail to follow,” wrote Allen in an email response to questions about the status of the project. “This new concept is a bit too much for us to facilitate; to buy the Cohen’s property without solid working agreements with not just residential plans, but more importantly, retail plans.”