Thursday, April 30, 2015

HEY ROCKY- FREE LAND.. SOUTH EAST!

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the other night at the inner city ministers forum- Mayor Henry said he was giving land away. well- first- its city owned land. can he legally do that?
but- this blogger- post to follow- tells the "rest of the story" much better than i; and seems to know whats up in more detail than me; so- heres to the combined intellect of the citizens..
One man cant know everything; but all of us can..
collective consciousness.
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http://the-pa-in-connection.blogspot.com/2015/04/humpday-happenings_29.html
see more commntary below via gina burgess facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess?fref=ts
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And speaking of making areas better, there's THIS little"gem":
http://wane.com/2015/04/28/city-will-give-away-land-to-entice-sit-down-restaurant-to-southtown/
Seems our reigning "monarch", Mayor (King) Henry wants to GIVE AWAY LAND to some large sit-down restaurant in the area of the former Southtown mall that has been vacant since the mall was torn down in 2004.
And so far...NO TAKERS. Well;, there was ONE, but they couldn't make it happen...gee, I wonder why?
Could it be...(wait for it)...the CRIME in the area?
Isn't that what I said inhibits retail and service business growth?
Sure looks that way.
You can't keep pointing to a MENARDS, WALMART, and  WENDY'S and call it a success...NOT with ALL the land that still lies fallow all around the area. And this is ASIDE from the strip mall that the old K-MART used to be in...AND the parcel where the old TARGET used to be (along with Cap'N Cork)
Target - GONE
You have TOO much empty space, TOO little interest andTOO much crime. Helluva combination.
Add this all up, and a BLINDPERSON could see WHYbusinesses refrain from coming down here.
But, since the city and the black community STILL live in a state of DENIAL (which is not just a river in Egypt, BTW), nothing will get done.
I've tried to chronicle ALL the businesses that have LEFT the area since I started this blog, and after around 150+ separate business entities...I lost bloody COUNT, but we have to be close to 200 by now. That's just from  when I moved here in 1997.
Lambro's - GONE
The numbers aren't increasingAS fast now...because we don't have that many businesses left to bug out.
What few businesses DOcome here are cell phone joints, convenient stores, nail salons...petty crap that serves too few and too infrequently.
We DO have MORE liquor stores AND gas stations (per sq. mile) that ANY other quadrant. Big frigging whoop.
The "King" mentions that he wants to see a SIT-DOWN restaurant...you mean likeLAMBROS (along Lower Huntington Rd) used to be???
That closed down a year or so ago...LACK of business, andTHAT place (which was nice inside with good food) is a spit and a slide FROM the aforementioned Southtown area.
Used to have a Casa D'Angelo's as well...ate there a couple times...very nice.
We lost THAT too.
Go figure, right?
Atz's - GONE
Hell, ATZ'S Ice Cream parlor even closed, and they were just up the road FROMLambro's restaurant.
Henry doesn't LIVE down here...doesn't SEE what's been happening over the years, and certainly isn't asINVOLVED as he SHOULDbe, if he TRULY wants to improve this part of the city, and thereby make itREVENUE-POSITIVE for the city coffers once again.
Common sense would dictate that having a positive revenue flowFROM the SE of Fort Wayne is much MORE desirable that the current state of affairs...BUT, you have to get a handle on theCRIME and those causing it, and we can't do that, because the blacks, Latinos, and white trash are "oppressed" and don't have that "privilege" we hear tell about (that doesn't exist).
Such a case CAN be made for returning businesses TO the southeast...and that will cause decent people to move into the area...and it WILL thrive once again, but you have GOT to chase the welfare queens and bad-ass thugs OUT of the areaFIRST.
Thing is, since the Helmke days...this area of the city has been marvelously IGNORED by City Hall...and it certainly SHOWS.
(in that, they managed to excel)
*** Last back to the pulpit...we are a nation of people, and although that sounds too obvious, it is, in fact  true.
People make the laws (some break them), people create the businesses (others rob them), people build, maintain, and protect the cities and towns we live in (or outright ignore parts of those towns and cities), so you can see there's no getting around people.
It's when people should KNOW BETTER...and do worse, that we have a problem
And whatever we permit people to do...well, that's what they'll continue to do, unless other people say otherwise.
That covers both sides of life's road...the good AND the bad.
Thing is, too often, resources are poured into areas of society with the hope that a positive result will be created.
Many times, this continuance of resources nets nothing at all, but more of what the original problems was.
A better management of funds or other resources works well in normal households. In fact, it's a prerequisite to keeping one's head above society's waters.
Do less, and you can easily drown.
So, WHY can't a city see to ALL it's problems with a more equal dispersal of those resources, rather than concentrating them in specific areas that are ALREADY successful, or, at the other end of the spectrum, result in less , or NO bang for any buck tossed at a problem?
If they managed resources (especially money) like a regular household, the net result SHOULD be similar...just on a larger scale.
When an ENTIRE city prospers, ALL of it's PEOPLE prosper. Pretty simple logic there.
When only a PART of that city prospers, the same amount ofPEOPLE are the ones prospering.
And those parts that do not prosper are left to whatever devices can be found (which usually are too few to matter).
This is a problem OUR city suffers from, and the remedy would seem easy enough to acquire...IF City Hall took the time toLOOK for it, instead of touting minor "accomplishments" that serve too few and ignore too many.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.
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FROM THE INBOX – FREE LAND BY MAYOR HENRY: First, here is Mayor Henry’s daytime phone numbers: 427-1111 (Mayor’s Office) and 482-8825. I would highly recommend that anyone with questions, proposals, concerns or complaints take ‘em up with him.
Second, I have no idea what land the Mayor is talking about, but it is NOT city land. If it were City land, then City Council would have to approve of the sale of real estate as that is a city asset. Of course, given how things work in this town---a consultant would first have to be hired (for less than $72,000) by the Mayor, then that consultant’s recommendation would have to be forwarded to some committee so that the committee could rubber-stamp the sale and make a recommendation to City Council. Or Deputy Mayor Karl Bandemer would step in and find a way to fast-track the program, sort of like he is trying to do behind-the-scenes with that $6 million of Legacy money that City Council doesn’t want to send to the self-created Legacy Fund Review Committee, that was designed to review all Legacy Fund requests. (Btw, nice try, but epic fail! Just sayin….LOL!)
Third, Allen County property records reveal that unimproved land is limited to land owned by RBS Developers, LLC and land owned by Star Financial Bank, who appears to be keeping the land in trust for Southtown Centre, LLC. Ironically, RBS Developers, LLC is owned by Barry Sturges and Southtown Centre, LLC is owned by Richard Sturgis and Sam Schenkel. Sam Schenkel being the owner of Bradley Co., who is the employer of City Councilman Russ Jehl. Also associated with Southtown Centre, LLC is attorney Philip Carson, of Carson Boxberger.
My best guess is that one or more of these properties are going to be either “gifted” or “sold” to the City --- ‘cause, you know, we have NEVER seen that before (wink, wink, elbow nudge, elbow nudge)---and then the City will turn around and “gift it” or “sell it” to a private restauranteur or national restaurant chain. Undoubtedly, someone local with existing ties to the hotel and restaurant industry.
Mayor Henry hopes the land offer and possible tax abatements will appeal to an Applebee's, Friday's or other franchise.
YOUTUBE.COM
Unlike · Comment · 
  • You and Ken Miller like this.
  • Cathy J Cross Golden Corral would be stellar !
    24 hrs · Like
  • Gina Burgess Yes, Cathy J Cross, a that would be good there. But I think what people in the 6th are really wanting is more than that. They want restaurants they can take families too and adult-oriented restaurants, something guys and gals have to get dressed up---a place to celebrate anniversaries, wedding engagements, etc. I'd love to see a Java Mama Cafe - Fort Wayne out there, aCasa, and a Greek's Pizza Forum as well as a Golden Corral Restaurants. For that extra special date restaurant, give them something with a hip environment like Bill Bean's Main Street Bistro, but with a more affordable menu. Or something likeClub Soda. Give these folks some variety! They don't want to go Downtown but they do want to support local businesses.
    23 hrs · Like
  • Cathy J Cross I agree. That plot of land is less than 1/8 of a mile from my door. I could go for a "Henry's" here too!
    23 hrs · Like · 1
  • Gina Burgess The sad reality, the location of the land being so close to 469 makes it a better match with low- to moderately-priced hotels, gas stations and even a truck stop, and more fast food places, than it really does for the kind of restaurants the community is wanting. Think about the "neighborhood" -- Walmart, Menards, fast food, and Public Safety Academy turned college (sorta). Farther down the road is lots of vacant big box stores. Keep on traveling is the food bank. This means that for those businesses to be the most successful right away, they are going to have to cater to 469 traffic. Right now, that is mainly truckers.  

    If we're going to give land away, then lets tear down all the vacant big box stores throughout Fort Wayne, starting with the Southeast part of town. Parcel that land up into smaller pieces and build "neighborhood shopping centers" with multiple stand-alone buildings, each with convenient nearby parking and communal space. Something that features lots of small to medium size restaurant, retail and entertainment businesses. Throw in some free wifi to expand online educational and vocational opportunities. 

    Do something that creates business opportunities, creates jobs, develops a new tax base, and simultaneously builds community.
    23 hrs · Like · 3
  • David Christopher Roach HootersLarry Flynt's Hustler Club Las VegasDeja Vu Showgirls Toledo? the single men of south east fort wayne deserve some culturally attuned entertainment that reflects their interests..instead of having to drive clear across town. Of course- that is a 2 way street- I would drive across town to be entertained in a safe night club environment as would many others from other sectors of town..
    ( a bit of "tongue in cheek here)( literally and figuratively) 
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