By: Diane Benjamin
The local area has THREE agencies coordinating economic development: B-N Convention and Visitors Bureau, BN Advantage, and the Economic Development Council.
There is MUCH more to this story – but not today.
The Bloomington Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has another committee nobody has ever heard of:
Sports Commission Board
The Board members aren’t listed on the website. People who attended their last meeting on May 17th are listed in the minutes: 5.17.17-Sports-Commission-board-Minutes
ATTENDEES: Matt Hawkins, Jon Althoff, Mike Wagner, Denise Balagna, Beth Sauser, Kathleen Lorenz, Leanna Bordner, Cary Frey, Jon Voegele, Steve Newman, Julia Turner, Doug Damery, Katie Kim, and Brie Lohr.
Katie Kim of the Kim Group from Peoria is promoting the huge west-side sports complex behind closed doors. You aren’t suppose to know the details of the May 17th meeting. If government wanted you to know the details, they would have hit the media by now. The below is from the minutes:
These few paragraphs have more information than anything previously released to the public.
Remember, Kim has made the same presentation to the EDC, Chamber of Commerce, Council members, Hotel Lodging Association, and BN Advantage. They all love the idea!
She also made the presentation to the CVB. Do you know who the Board members of the CVB are?
Not surprising – it’s a bunch of Council members and a Mayor.
Points to Ponder:
-I wonder if the West Side Revitalization project wants farm land on the other side of an Interstate Highway revitalized.
-We heard talk of an indoor ice rink and fields for soccer and lacrosse. Now they are talking about indoor swimming and diving, softball, basketball, and marching band competitions! (Currently held at ISU)
-A third-party operating this amazing complex sounds just like the Coliseum! That has worked out well, I wonder if the State Police are ever going to finish their investigation.
Everybody but taxpayers are being brought on board. Government wants the complex passed before you find out what’s in it.
The Delphi Method is when you get led to slaughter because your concerns are never addressed. Get ready for rigged public hearings.
It happened to Normal – see this story from 2014: https://blnnews.com/2014/11/19/normal-gets-delphied-again/
Share this story.
Only lots of voices can STOP this fleece.
This clandestine group and meeting reminds me of “dark-ops.” Two on one meetings with Council members and Kim. This is scary–just like the Council Work Session was moved to the Osborn Room for the presentation of the Library expansion proposal. No one is supposed to have access to the facts so Renner and his cohorts can twist the truth. Renner does not promote transparency. He lies and manipulates.
Is the Downtown Task Force already having meetings that no one knows about?
A sports complex (especially one like this) is not really economic development in my mind. If company that relocates here or starts up here, brings money into the town and employs residents is real economic development that diversities our economy. Diversification of our economy makes us less vulnerable to disruptive events (like the one State Farm is going through right now). Let’s now look at recent events and see if a sport complex is something we need: State Farm lost 7 billion in the underwriting of their auto insurance, laid off 4500 people and closed several locations around the country. ISU will this fall follow all the other state schools (except U of I) and have a drop in enrollment. Our two main economic drivers are in trouble and our leadership looks at a sports complex as economic development? They appear to me to be living in an alternative reality. Our entire area is in a recession (which is really a general economic decline) This is well documented and our leadership must be aware of it (or they care to know). Shame on these agencies for ignoring the reality of the economic decline that is descending on our area. Many (maybe even them) will be hurt or ruined by the coming economic decline. Very sad to watch – it reminds me of the history of the decline of Detroit. The similarities are frightening!
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What can we do besides spread the word?
Organized resistance. Suggestions?
Keeping quiet will get You nowhere