Why is the City Broke?
- City officials Tuesday defended a decision to sell a former firehouse in Jefferson Park effectively for $10 and turning down an offer of $300,000 from the nearby Copernicus Foundation.
The Copernicus offer never offered evidence of financing, a clear plan and a timetable for its project, said a city spokesman.
In July, the city’s Community Development Commission agreed to sell the building at 4839 N. Lipps Ave. to an affiliate of Ambrosia Homes Development. Its proposal calls for adding one floor to the two-story brick building — vacant for about 10 years — and to convert the ground floor into a pub and restaurant for Lake Effect Brewing. The rest of the building would be turned into nine apartments.
Ambrosia, led by Tim Pomaville, agreed to pay environmental remediation costs at the property, estimated to be worth almost its appraised price of $208,000. Hence, the stated price of the sale was $10, according to a report to the CDC. Copernicus responded when the city advertised for competing bids.
Financing? It was $300,000 in cash, plus a commitment to being the building into environmental compliance, estimated by the competing bid at $208,000.
The other guy (politically connected?) offers $10 and because the compliance cost is equal to the cost of the building itself, a net zero dollars.
Cost to the taxpayers - about half-a-million?
Meanwhile, Groot's budget hole gets bigger and bigger.
The other guy (politically connected?) offers $10 and because the compliance cost is equal to the cost of the building itself, a net zero dollars.
Cost to the taxpayers - about half-a-million?
Meanwhile, Groot's budget hole gets bigger and bigger.
Labels: dumb ideas, money questions
posted by SCC at 12:05 AM
72 Comments:
Just like selling the old 12th dist for a Dollar.
F.U.L.L.
City is fucked, plain and simple.
Hopefully you guys get a contract (other than the horseshit they offered) before bankruptcy.
Everybody with time invested should be looking at 20 and out with future plans, it's not going to get better for a very long time. ORD is way down, tourism is dead, and there is an real estate exodus.
Make no mistake, this once fine city now shithole is sadly going tits up in the next couple years.
Inside deals continue under the little mayor. Time to vote republican. Time to vote no on all the retention judges.
"Meanwhile, Groot's budget hole gets bigger and bigger." And ya pile of shit garbage Nancy fuckshit aint going to bale you out.
Lightfoot and her staff are totally incompetent!
Hey, get a job as a COVID tracer, Groot says it pays $20 hr with full benes......Who is paying for that??????????????????
Per Ill. Board of Elections, Pomaville made campaign contributions totaling $7,930.00 with Lake Effect Brewing giving $412.00 to various interesting candidates. Kurdziec gave $200.00 to an Oak Park,Il. candidate. Check it out
The funny part about it.......how many other things like this go on that no one knows about?
The City has money, so, they are full of shit! The sale was definitely politically connected and you know for a fact someone just made big bucks or some other type of lucrative deal...check with the alderscum of that area! NO WAY is the City going to pass up that cash unless their was something big in it for them...Perhaps the FEDS need to investigate since we dont have any real Inspector generals here.
Just follow the money and you'll find the corruption.
This is how you sell shit? Lowest offer
Then the way you buy shit is the most outrageous ridiculous bid! Anyone remember how much millennial park cost, wasn’t it almost a billion dollars?
I’m guessing all affordable housing for the free shit army?
The FBI should be all over this, including the building on Lawrence ave, the one taken by eminent domain over a decade ago because of "needs" only to be handed over to a builder for the same 1$. They took the building, eventually paying 1.5 mil, because Chicago needed the land, then sat on the land until their buddy the builder, (who's office is right around the corner) to build townhouses and condos on, which he then sells for top dollar and keeps all the profit.
The only reason you could give for something like this is if the area is fucked up, but it's not. It could have been fucked up if Arena had more time to do his Communism, but he's supposedly out of the picture. The only reason Arena hasn't been popped by now must be because he is providing valuable information to the G.How much do you have to steal before they pay attention to you? Come on, everybody involved in this is white, should de like falling off a log it so easy. No down side to ending this stranglehold on 45th ward. The average bank robber only get away with less than 5 grand, these guys are getting 5 grand a day!
Is that arenas old ward?
Daley did pretty much the same thing with what is now the Fire House Restaurant in the south loop. It was just a block away from his two townhouse compound. Daley gave a sweetheart deal to Matt O’Malley even though there were better offers on the table. Then, low and behold, Daley and his clan became regular patrons of the restaurant. That’s the same Matt O’Malley that knocked up a Park District official and was having an affair with her conveniently at the time his group was trying to get a deal for the Park Grill in Millennium Park. The Corruption with those Democrats runs deep.
Word is that Groot puppet attorney Mike Frisch is being
abused up, down, and sideways on the blog. Seems like he
gets his kicks making unreasonable offers. You get the idea.
He has a high paying job, but you don't.
How many years ago did the city sell the old 20th District station on Foster? I think they sold it to some theater company or community group for one dollar. It still stands shuttered like the day it was vacated .
Who gets to decide that giving away property for a song is good fiscal practice?
Not much different than when Mayor Daley (Richard M) sold the Vietnam Veterans a building at 18th/Indiana in the then undesirable neighborhood under gentrification for a dollar.
The Vietnam Vets put in thousands of personal and solicited donation dollars and countless hours of work to rehab it back to a useful purpose to display veteran art and activities.
Then, when the neighborhood finally changed back and market prices in the area greatly improved, they took back the building and initially turned it into some sort of City day-care center. In return, the City offered the vets a remote second floor replacement in the six corners area that greatly reduced the size and scope of their hard work and dedication by well over 300%. The replacement building and its contents were then managed by a six-corners chamber of commerce appointee, a non Vietnam veteran without any art background. (Alderman Arena's ward) Now changed to the National Veterans Art Museum, and of the listed top five Executive Board and Staff Members only one person has any military background.
Sad and shameful.
What a slap in the face to the Polish Community.
Contract before bankruptcy? What are you talking about.
The city is bankrupt.
The Poles should claim ethnic bias and get an injunction. Why not?
Now, kees me you fool!!!!
They’ll take the $10 and attempt to shove the anti-Arena low income section 8 wet-dream into the heart of Jefferson Park.
Anonymous said...
Per Ill. Board of Elections, Pomaville made campaign contributions totaling $7,930.00 with Lake Effect Brewing giving $412.00 to various interesting candidates. Kurdziec gave $200.00 to an Oak Park,Il. candidate. Check it out
9/17/2020 01:47:00 AM
The miracle of the campaign donation. My neighbor across the street gave 5 grand to a certain Alderman’s campaign and got his alley paved. The upside was that Alderman lost his last election.
To the poster at 3:05am, do you actually think Loris butt boy as licker RINO Lausch the machine democrat from Beverly who got her elected by fake indicting Burke to take out Daley, Mendoza and Preckwinkle is going to investigate anything ? Dream on. When is Madigan getting indicted? Don’t count on it. He reports to senile joe and Harris already.
This sale came up under former Ald. Arena. Copernicus Center's only plan was to use the building as a storage facility for the Center itself. The Copernicus Center - Gateway Theater is a for profit entertainment venue. The only income for the city would be the taxes which would go to the TIF District there. Copernicus is NOT a good neighbor in any sense of the word. I'm thankful C-19 hit because the garbage, shit and piss the Center patrons leave is usually all over the neighborhood. There hasn't been 1 fight at all on Lawrence Ave too.
The alternate plan is much better in my opinion. Not only would the City get the property taxes, they would get sales tax revenue and foot traffic generated by the proposed brew pub. What you aren't told in the article is that there is another parcel that the Center is looking to purchase which is between the Center and the former firehouse. The Center wants ownership of that so that they would own the entire block.
The sad part is that a major portion of commercial property in Jeff Park is owned by Demetrius Kazonis/ Delko Construction/Delko Demolition/Mega Realty. Large swaths of Milwaukee Ave store fronts are vacant under his ownership. Not a peep is mentioned about him, ever.
The rest of the building would be turned into nine apartments.
Section 8, we presume. Have fun at your yuppie brewery, with piss hums, drug dealers, and the eventual drive by.
I'm guessing that somebody in city government made alot of extra money from this deal.
Keep an eye on what happens to the old 12 district. Sold for a dollar to a "children's theater". Wait and see who they flip it over to...
Pomaville gave a lot to Arena, Old Mary O'Connor, and Deb Mell. Recently gave to Naps. Pomaville seems to play both sides.
http://illinoissunshine.org/search/?term=Pomaville&table_name=candidates&table_name=committees&table_name=officers&table_name=receipts&table_name=expenditures
It aint going to change until the people VOTE THE CHANGE!!! The asshole voters voted Prickwrinkle back in after "sodagate tax"! Then state voted a billionaire governor in who cheated the city, county and state out of $300,000.00 property tax and no CRIMINAL CHARGES!!!
YTBD the States ASSTORNEY has let more violent felons, repeat offend or go without charging & released a RACE BAITING HOLLYWOOD PUNK and the stupid voters will re-elect her stanky ass!!!
START VOTING IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT!!! 80+ years of dumbocrats, TRY REPUBLICANS, there's nothing to lose with the democRATS scams like this one & thefts!!!
The city is "broke" because Groot squandered the money on
evil and corrupt projects. Audit that fucking bitch. I bet you the
first family flew first class to Maine and back. And the "city"
somehow subsidized their adventure. No tears here.
Another day more people paid off no matter how many go to jail more than lineup they literally lineup to fill their pockets keep the taxpayers 50 alderman we don’t need 99% of them just a huge waste of money plus their staffs getting millions and millions of dollars thrown at them. Then you have the city clerks office which does the same work at Department of revenue does but yet she has a full staff gets way overpaid and a full police detail just like the city treasurer more ridiculousness they’re not going to work but they still have their detail the show for them around I’ll be in debt paid security specialist wages and getting that Sgt’s pension you talk about a waste of money any investigative reporters in the city? Crickets!!
The old 19th District (high $ area) was sold for $1.00 and is now a Gay Senior Citizens Building
Gee, isn’t there an Inspector General who should be looking into these shady fucking deals?
Political shenanigans? Turning down the highest offer in order to gain political favor?
Is there not any REPUBLICAN lawyers who can file a lawsuit vs. the city for this MALFEASANCE of
PUBLIC TRUST?
GIVING AWAY city property which you and I own? Losing millions of dollars worth
of MY interests for political donations?
Maybe Blago can donate some knowledge and expertise to this, maybe he would like to
give them a little payback?
The enemy of my enemy is MY FRIEND......
Such a deal.
This deal with Ambrosia and Lake Effect was in the works for some time, in fact in 2018 Ambrosia had plans to drop +$2 million into the project to build a new building for long time local brewer Lake Effect. They’re obviously doing well...in these challenging times, but $10 for a two story corner lot, I’ll estimate there’s at least 4000 sf of moving about space too.
Smells of Arena, doesn’t it?
These great deals don’t sprout out of thin air, not in 2018 and probably going back to 2016.
In contrast, there was an old fire house conversion to residential at 2100 Eastwood that sold for $1.3 mil last year. They won’t say what the city sold it for back some years when it was rehabbed in 2015. But the annual real estate tax bill went from $53,000 in 2015 down to $21,000 in 2018 even though they added livable space, improvements and increases to the assessed value. Another great deal ?
I wonder what happens to the brass poles in these places?
The Eff Bee Mutherfucking eye doesn't open investigations by themselves, someone has to beef. Someone, and preferably more than one has to call them on the phone or Email them and explain what you think is going on and what you expect them to do about it. Daley knew this, and I'm sure he had his snitches making calls daily, (see what I did there?) They need justifications so give them some! They have some criteria where if they get 3 bonafide beefs about something from 3 different sources they have to act and at least write up a report. Actually go out and interview folks. Gentlemen, drop your dimes!
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/09/ag-bill-barr-asked-federal-prosecutors-consider-bringing-criminal-charges-seattle-mayor-jenny-durkan-allowing-anarchists-establish-chop-chaz/
Is it possible the “Department of Justus” is looking at other mayors around the country for participating in a coordinated conspiracy to allow anarchy and chaos in order to destabilize urban cities for a political and economic purpose?
Stay tuned! Oh the irony would be pure schadenfruede!
Groot's out to lunch. Offshore.
In response to the post.
"The funny part about it....how many other things like this go on that no one knows about?
If we knew, it would make, even us, blush !
PS: Have a Nice Day !!!
The firehouse at 1700 W 95th St in the 19th Ward was sold for $1.00 to Optimo Hat maker Graham Thompson -- related to Alderman Patrick Thompson.
Contract said that Optimo would hire 12+ new employees. In reality, Optimo hired no one, took out an $800k+ mortgage on the property, hires a politically connected architect to do the rehab, AND THEN HAS THE AUDACITY TO FIGHT THE $8k annual tax bill with Ed Burke connected lawyers and the property magically gets deemed "EXEMPT" from taxes. Guys pays nothing for 2 years until a whistleblower shows up and busts the entire scam.
The kicker?? During the time Graham Thompson was fighting the tax bill on the $1.00 7,000+ square foot firehouse, he had time to write campaign contributions checks to Ed Burke and 19th Ward Alderman Matt O'Shea.
Hope they do some investigating into the person buying the $10 building, bet if i wanted it the cost would have been triple or inwould have gotten a flat no. Welcome to Crook County
Let's go back a year shall we? Anyone know whats going on with Groot's plan with OPSA? remember that? consolidate public safety have civilian investigators and put POs and firemen back on the street. More smoke and mirrors Shitshowgo style!! here's a quote from the new director...full link to article from July below:
“I look forward to working alongside our police, fire and emergency response leaders on strategies that will reduce costs, streamline operations and increase efficiencies so that Chicago’s first responders can focus on protecting and serving Chicago’s communities.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mayor-lightfoot-names-head-of-new-office-of-public-safety-administration-public-library-commissioner-andrea-telli-retiring/ar-BB179HxY
Donnie ‘D’?
You expected what a good fair offer? Dream on. She owns you and will play hard ball until you cave in to her demands. Or just duck it up and wait until she gets voted out. At best you will get an offer that keeps you even with where you are now given all the new fees and taxes coming your way. At worst you’ll wind up 5-7% worse off. File the residency law suit, your only hope of getting them to bargain in good faith.
Why is this even news? It is just another example of the Chicago Way. Chicago Values says $10 is way better than $300,000. Democratic CPS math in practice use.
Grim Reaper Says:
Scamocrat Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White wasting millions of Illinois Taxpayer
Dollars once again, by sending out additional reminder letters that Illinois Voters, already notified to death by the Media and Illinois Voters Registration, that they can vote by mail, in a desperate attempt to gain more mail in voters so the Scamocrats can cheat more. Then Illinois wants a bailout due to their constant overspending. This is typical of their sociocommunist mentality. Stick it to the Taxpayers for more wasteful, bullshit scams to help get themselves re-elected. Hey Jesse White, if you want to remind people about mail in voting in Illinois, which is only on our radios and TV's all day and night long every fuckin day, then how about using your own fuckin money to pay for the mailing, materials, and postage, NOT the Taxpayers, you fucking Hack asshole. Quit wasting Taxpayer Dollars in Illinois, and then expecting everyone to bail your sorry asses out because you are now broke, and it's your own fuckin fault, so quit your whining. pandering, and sponging.
Anonymous said...
City is fucked, plain and simple.
Hopefully you guys get a contract (other than the horseshit they offered) before bankruptcy.
Everybody with time invested should be looking at 20 and out with future plans, it's not going to get better for a very long time. ORD is way down, tourism is dead, and there is an real estate exodus.
Make no mistake, this once fine city now shithole is sadly going tits up in the next couple years.
9/17/2020 12:16:00 AM
Conservative REpublican Leadership is desperately needed, before Chiraq becomes a total Ghost Town. It is already over halfway there. Wake up Democrats, vote Republican, not Socialist.
Buy High, sell low.
It's the Chicago way!
Pay of connected crooks when you buy, reward favored cronys when you sell.
They might need to raise parking rates. The dropoff in traffic downtown has had to have an effect.
Wait...
Some bureaucrat is probably getting a brand new Ambrosia Home somewhere at a nice discounted rate. Anyone know if Lightfoot bought property?
100% insult to the Polish community.
It totally backfired for the demwits, now the cops are saying screw you to the leftist Democrats and standing down and allowing the people to handle these malcontents. Trump 2020
Yes, Democrats fell into the trap they set for police. They can't get out of the hole they dug. Their war on police has backfired completely.
Law abiding Americans stand with the police, not the Democrat's BLM terrorists. Support the Blu.
At this point, most black Americans have to realize how badly the Democrat party has harmed not only black people but everyone under their control. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Voting Democrat, if you live in a big Democrat city like Chicago, is utter insanity.
Most young healthy people realize they're not going to be killed by the Chinese Virus, but they're watching how this "Abolish the Police" idea is working in all the devastated cities.
And, at the same time, EVERYONE is seeing how the Enviro Nazis are blaming Climate Change while the BLM fans are torching forests and eliminating any chance of Solar Power with all the smoke blocking the California sunshine! So, any normal American has to be thinking: WHY would I want my state to adopt the Green New Deal like Californian has? These democratic leaders are fools.
If black people are worried about crime they need to stop voting for criminal democrats.
Under the guise of seeking to “prevent a constitutional crisis,” a massive network of well funded left-wing activists and progressive groups are training, organizing, and planning to mobilize millions of Americans should President Trump “contest the election results,” refuse to concede, or claim an early victory.
More than 80 advocacy groups and grassroots organizations have joined in a broad coalition calling itself “Protect the Results” and proclaiming that “we cannot ignore the threat that Trump poses to our democracy and a peaceful transition of power.”
The coalition is a joint project of Indivisible and Stand Up America, two left-wing groups founded in response to President Trump’s 2016 election and whose goals are “to organize and resist Trump’s dangerous agenda” and “to defeat Trump and his enablers.”
Seeking to “protect” election results by use of its millions of members, the coalition calls to “take coordinated action” and “prepare for a potential post-election crisis.”
“Be prepared,” warns a video on its homepage.
Basically they are saying we are going to riot until everyone gives in. Stay strong America, don't give in to the Communists after November 3rd.
The really amazing part of all this!!! Take it to the state level where fatass says everyones getting laid off if the Feds don't bail out the state...How much money do you think has been lifted in the last 6 (SIX) months at the state level...Asshole cheated to save $300,000.00 got caught and never charged and elected governor and now he has unfettered access to untold millions which there has already been blurbs about millions for masks that were no good... millions to retired doctors...millions for McCormack Place JOKE Hospital...and GOD only knows what other MILLIONS are in the wind...AND THE STATE IS BROKE...AMAZING SIMPLY FUCKING AMAZING. And the fantastic investigative reporters we have cant find their ass with both hands, probably because their heads are up their own ass or some politicians!!!
OT - 'Union leaders say letter carriers will refuse to deliver mail if they don’t feel safe, and they’re warning that entire neighborhoods could lose mail service due to fear of gang conflicts across the city.' - wgntv.com about postal workers.
Kids out of school, people against police making any arrests, mail delivery shut down, what next? maybe semis not stocking groceries? utility workers not going in, ambulances & fire staying away? who to blame.
File the residency law suit, your only hope of getting them to bargain in good faith.
9/17/2020 03:28:00 PM
I hope you were trying to be humorous. You sure made me LOL!
If you were serious, you are dumber than dirt.
"Anonymous said...
Under the guise of seeking to “prevent a constitutional crisis,” a massive network of well funded left-wing activists and progressive groups are training, organizing, and planning to mobilize millions of Americans should President Trump “contest the election results,” refuse to concede, or claim an early victory.
More than 80 advocacy groups and grassroots organizations have joined in a broad coalition calling itself “Protect the Results” and proclaiming that “we cannot ignore the threat that Trump poses to our democracy and a peaceful transition of power.”
The coalition is a joint project of Indivisible and Stand Up America, two left-wing groups founded in response to President Trump’s 2016 election and whose goals are “to organize and resist Trump’s dangerous agenda” and “to defeat Trump and his enablers.”
Seeking to “protect” election results by use of its millions of members, the coalition calls to “take coordinated action” and “prepare for a potential post-election crisis.”
“Be prepared,” warns a video on its homepage.
Basically they are saying we are going to riot until everyone gives in. Stay strong America, don't give in to the Communists after November 3rd.
9/17/2020 08:15:00 PM"
They are using Lawfare tactics in which the laws used as a weapon against the Trump administration.
https://www.lawfareblog.com/contributors/neisen
"The FBI should be all over this"
Notice the AG William Barr recently spent some quality time here.
in the 90s richard the lesser gave away the water dept shops, warehouse and pipe yard at 31st and sacremento to his friend, farley candy for 1.00 . must be nice for an industrialist to be able to buy land and buildings in a convienient location for a campaign donation and brown paper bag full of hundreds. everyone else has to spend millions and deal with every elected official and inspector shaking them down. after 100 years this corrupt political bazaar is finally collapsing from its own weight. good riddance shitcaga.
40 years ago a guy named Wolf or Wolfe was stockpiling buildings and keeping them all vacant. This went on until one of the TV stations (when they used to be real) started exposing his scam of rolling all the building and zoning beefs into one case, then firing his lawyer and starting over. He was also involved in tax reduction scamming where he would not pay the taxes for years, then setting for pennies on the dollar. He had a lot of properties around Rush Street and Downtown, all vacant. He was literally a hoarder, of buildings. About time someone opened the books on Mega.
fucking amazing!!!
just like that restaurant in millennium park getting all utilities free, and the poor investors who took a real risk investing into it.
HELLO FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS!!!!
Anonymous said...
in the 90s richard the lesser gave away the water dept shops, warehouse and pipe yard at 31st and sacremento to his friend, farley candy for 1.00 . must be nice for an industrialist to be able to buy land and buildings in a convienient location for a campaign donation and brown paper bag full of hundreds. everyone else has to spend millions and deal with every elected official and inspector shaking them down. after 100 years this corrupt political bazaar is finally collapsing from its own weight. good riddance shitcaga.
9/18/2020 02:30:00 AM
AND FREE HEAT FROM THE COUNTY JAIL BUILDING :)
hey GROOT,
can I buy the old 9th district at 35th and lowe for a dollar?
Im short on funds, but I will pay you back when I build a house for 200k and sell it for a million.
Sun Times gets the sale price of the Jefferson Park firehouse wrong. It is $1. Not $10.
http://nadignewspapers.com/2020/09/17/panel-okays-1-firehouse-sale-ald-tunney-challenges-citys-claim-that-copernicus-plan-wouldnt-generate-property-tax-revenue/
To the poster at 3:05am, do you actually think Loris butt boy as licker RINO Lausch the machine democrat from Beverly who got her elected by fake indicting Burke to take out Daley, Mendoza and Preckwinkle is going to investigate anything ? Dream on. When is Madigan getting indicted? Don’t count on it. He reports to senile joe and Harris already.
9/17/2020 08:35:00 AM
Yep
And low and behold Penny Trahanas is the first to be hired as an investigator
In or around 2010, Laurino and her group offered a free police station, 17 and $1,000,000 in cash to some Thai guy. He used the money to convert the station to a Thai restaurant, community center, church type thing so they could say prayers to their 6 armed blue elephant god. All free TIF money. The purpose wasn't to curry votes, as most of these people are not citizens. The purpose was to replace/displace voters, making it easier to control the remaining voting stock. THEN THEY MAPPED IT OUT OF THE 39th WARD. Why would they go to all that trouble to displace voters, then push it out of the ward like a dirty turd? Any detectives reading this? Oh, then when the shit hit the fan she was the first alderman to resign. All very fishy if you ask me. Back in those day, TIF money is the kind of money you have to get rid of, otherwise next years TIF money will back up in your colon, causing a money blockage. Too much money laying around on the floor looks like poor management, so the idea is to piss it away so A, you look good and 2, you make room for more money. These people are farming us.
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