Recent Comments
- John Polk said “I knew Charles when he was EVP of The Atlanta Chamber and I worked for ...” on Memories of Oklahoma City circa 1993
- John Polk said “Back in the mid-80's and early 90's, Cleveland was actually recognized as one of the ...” on Economic development in NEO: A view from the street-level
- John Polk said “Is there any way to substantiate Dimora's claim re: GCP and the PD, other than ...” on Cleveland’s new development dynamic?
- George Nemeth said “Like all glimmers of newness in CLE+ I expect this one to be crushed too” on Cleveland’s new development dynamic?
- Cleveland’s new development dynamic? | Brewed Fresh Daily said “[...] by Ohio voters, as gambling interests convert the Ohio constitution into a zoning ordinance. ...” on Ohio’s casino deal gets a bit more messy
- About BDP Comments
Meta
Ed Morrison · News Flash: Forest City “disgusted” by “strange” process
February 5th, 2009
Forest City Enterprises spokesman Jeff Linton said the Cleveland company is disgusted to learn it is now, at best, a third option.
Said Linton: “It’s a very strange process indeed by which our site goes from the first-place site based on a very detailed analysis that the [Greater Cleveland Partnership] did, to the second-place site based on MMPI’s analysis that no one has seen, to third place based on one meeting in Chicago — and all without one single substantive discussion with us about the merits of our site and the opportunities for cost savings.”
Au contraire, mon ami, it looks like people are disgusted instead with your Forest City.
Scott Wolstein site on Flats east bank is second choice for medical mart
The farce continues…You could not make this stuff up.
Last 5 posts by Ed Morrison
- Signing off - February 3rd, 2012
- "The current global development model is unsustainable" - February 1st, 2012
- Market opportunities for developing Chicago's green economy - January 29th, 2012
- Plain Dealer flubs its explanation for firing Tony Grossi - January 27th, 2012
- Linking and leveraging university assets to strengthen regional economies - January 27th, 2012
February 5th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Story’s not coming up. Did Forest City demand it be taken down?
February 5th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Hopefully we’ll see more revelations like this as the unfortunate economic landscape continues to decline. The principles and process, or the lack thereof, under which important decisions like this get made in Cleveland “on behalf of its citizens” have been flawed for for years. Maybe now they will begin to change? At least that is my hope for a brighter future.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
anastasia:
I fixed the link. http://snurl.com/bcwfo
Sorry for the problem.
February 6th, 2009 at 5:32 am
i just cannot get behind the convention/me-mart deal
better we create the largest farmers market in the mid-west on the mall c everyday like in europe
live-stock,chickens,veggies, et al from all over northeast ohio we will drw the local farmers and great food producers to sell their goods cleveland is turnig into farmland as we can see. i have been behind the reclamation effort since 1995 when the north union market began.who else wants the inner city? no one wants it so let the farmers do their thing and move the rest to suburbia inner city poor can become sharecroppers and farm hands,better than welfare.
February 6th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Michael:
It’s hard to figure out what the convention center med mart deal. No one has explained it beyond a bumper sticker.
One saving grace: If the County does build this facility, it looks like its headed to the mall, where, as Steve Litt has explained, it may do some good in carrying forward Burnham’s original downtown plan.
Despite the protestations of Forest City (and the ineptitude of the Greater Cleveland Partnership), the Tower City site — by far the worst of the alternatives — is not going to happen.
Your idea — developing a more regional approach to food systems — is one that Holly Harlan has been advocating for some time…and with good reason.
Over the next decade, our food and energy systems will becoming more regional, and that trend creates economic development opportunities. Our agricultural extension system at Purdue is working on this strategy.
February 6th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I’m fascinated by all the attention paid in the Plain Dealer to the site selection process, compared to the minimal attention given to the foolish and corrupt nature of the project itself.
There is no good place for a bad investment.
February 6th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I have a few questions, and this seems as good a place as any to ask them. And apropos of Mark’s observation, shouldn’t transparency work both ways?…
1)…Right around Christmas time, when the PD started amping up its front page stories, it seemed their principal source was an executive from Forest City, whose theme was, “no one’s talking with us, and we’re mystified.”
Then Bruce Harris (a brilliant and honest guy, by the bye) airs his opinions for the PD editorial board, and hits the front page. How did he get there? Did he just spontaneously ask for an appointment with the PD? Did the PD just spontaneously decide to invite him in to hear his take(pretty unusual for a private citizen)? Or was he sent by someone?
Then, after a few weeks of “When will they decide?” stories, the Commissioners pick a site, and the PD cries foul, because the decision was made behind closed doors. Hadn’t the closed nature of the process struck the paper as a little odd for the previous 18 months? Or were they reflecting unhappiness that THEY were the ones locked out?
The PD seems to be challenging Tim Hagan to prove he hasn’t been colluding with the wrong people. Can the PD demonstrate that its coverage hasn’t been biased by its relationships?
2)…Have we heard anything from GCP since the Commissioners’ decision was announced? If so, I think I missed it.
Given that GCP was ready with an enthusiastic op-ed within 48 hours of Gov. Strickland’s musings on casino gambling, isn’t the silence on this subject a little unusual?
The original siting project was done on GCP’s dime at GCP’s direction. If they have confidence in their work, shouldn’t they be out there defending it?
I recognize that, as a private organization, they don’t owe the public anything. But given their advocacy for, and direct deep involvement in, the project for lo, these many years, shouldn’t they have something to say?
3)…Does anyone know if there’s any sort of business relationship between Forest City and Squire, Sanders and Dempsey?
It seems that now that “transparency” is the Mantra Of The Week, what’s sauce for the goose should be…well, you know…
February 6th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
You’re asking most of the right questions, John, and in a way in which they almost answer themselves. As I think you well know, one giant business relationship between Forest City and Squire Sanders comes in the person of former Congressman and regional strongman Lou Stokes, who’s on Forest City’s board and has been associated with SS&D since he left Congress. You know, the fellow whose life/family story will be soon be glorified by our public TV station (it runs Monday), and the man who Mayor Bruce Akers famously says can single-handedly kill regionalism if he doesn’t like it.
The GCP, as you well know, often prefers to speak quietly, or rather, to ventriliquize through its many friends and allies. They’re just about everywhere. As for Bruce Harris, he may be a private citizen, but he also happens to be easily one of the ten most influential/knowledgeable people in America on the subject of the convention and meeting business, so I thought it was completely appropriate that his views be give wide play. But it was a little curious that it came so late in the deliberations.
One more tiny (and not terribly germane, but still curious) connection that made me chuckle, JP: Forest City’s spokesman is none other than your old friend Mr. Linton, formerly of Dix & Eaton.
February 6th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Jeff is one of the smartest and most capable pr guys in town. Forest City is lucky to have him…