City Hall Dumps Vacant Lot to Summers' Campaign Donor+Friend

[Lori Allen _]

Since the "land bank" thread has become overcrowded, and this deals more with sales than demolitions, this belongs in a new thread.

In an effort to create an illusion that a real estate transaction is legitimate, City Hall apparently had Knez Homes placed a “for sale” sign on the vacant City Hall Land Bank lot at 1635 Hopkins. This was taken today, March 20th, 2017. The sign reads, in part, “for sale – Knez Homes”.

3.20.17 1635 Hopkins For Sale Knez Homes.jpg (38.19 KiB) Viewed 948 times

Don't let the sign fool you, folks. It would appear that City Hall had the following plan in the works for a long time. You don't get to purchase the land bank lot and do what you want with it. A home is going to be built on the lot by a company, you just get to buy the house and move into it when it is complete.

Who is this “company” you ask? Knez Homes, as is stated on the sign. Who is the Vice President of Construction & Land at Knez Homes, you ask? The answer: none other than Lakewood resident, Summers supporter and Summers' campaign donor, William or “Bill” Sanderson. According to public records, Sanderson resides in a condominium on the east end of Lakewood. The condo's yard was filled with “Summers” signs in the 2015 election. Also, according to Sanderson's Linkedin profile, Sanderson worked as the “Vice President of Joint Ventures” for Forest City Land Group from 2006 to 2012. As a reminder, Forest City Land Group is constructing the condos along Detroit's east end under the guise of Rockport Square LLC. Also, if you look at Forest City Land Group's leadership, you will plainly see that it appears to simply be the economic development and real estate arm of the Cleveland Clinic.

This has also been mentioned before, but it is worth mentioning again. Sanderson, according to public records is receiving a tax abatement on his condo in the amount of $315,000. Therefore, he only paid about $400 in property taxes last year. No other condos around Sanderson feature any tax abatement. What gives?

My issue is not with Sanderson personally. I don't know the man. My issue is with City Hall. What if I wanted to built a house on that Hopkins Avenue lot? Gee, I wouldn't have even known I could build on it. Besides, do we really think Summers would give any of us common folk or folk with otherwise different opinions than he a fair opportunity anyway? Again, Sanderson was apparently just “given” the land to build on, while the only open opportunity for someone like me is to buy the house that one of the mayor's friends already built. Don't let Summers fool you, folks. That is not a 100%, honest, open, transparent sale. Rather, it is a very poor illusion of one. Also, the lot has not yet transfered from City Hall to Sanderson yet, interestingly.

In regards to City Hall, they would not be conducting this business with such arrogance, boldness, and haste if they did not know they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Folks, why do you believe Butler has been holding all those records hostage? Think about it. I strongly suspect that something highly incriminating is in those records, and that this will all boil over and certain individuals will “book town” when it does.

Then again, those records may have been shredded and are lying in a landfill by now, or on a garbage barge somewhere. Why do you think there was the sudden rush to change records retention stuff?

Quick! Mr. Mayor, call the Deck Watchers!