The Observation Deck

I’ve heard several people discussing this printed story wherein Mayor Summers admits the city is GIVING AWAY the hospital site to the developer, who happens to employ Ed Fitzgerald, the disgraced former mayor of Lakewood.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/ ... pital-site

During the intense debate over closing the hospital, Mayor Summers kept insisting that developers were after this 6 acre plot. In fact, he said NATIONAL developers contacted the city about the land.

Well, we now know that’s not true. But we do know that the supposedly valuable and sought after land is apparently worth nothing, because that’s what we plan to get when we GIVE AWAY the plot to the developer.

What is wrong with this picture?

Why are we giving it away? Are we desperate? Desperate for the failing brick and mortar retail we will be getting?

Big Fun, a long time Cleveland institution, is closing. The owner said brick and mortar is not the future. But Lakewood thinks it is!

And apparently, we think the hospital land is worth nothing.

Just a reminder--- I got dibs on Lakewood Park

[quote="Bridget Conant"]I’ve heard several people discussing this printed story wherein Mayor Summers admits the city is GIVING AWAY the hospital site to the developer, who happens to employ Ed Fitzgerald, the disgraced former mayor of Lakewood.

[url]http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20171001/news/137356/lakewood-selects-westlake-firm-redevelop-former-hospital-site[/url]

During the intense debate over closing the hospital, Mayor Summers kept insisting that developers were after this 6 acre plot. In fact, he said NATIONAL developers contacted the city about the land.

Well, we now know that’s not true. But we do know that the supposedly valuable and sought after land is apparently worth nothing, because that’s what we plan to get when we GIVE AWAY the plot to the developer.

What is wrong with this picture?

Why are we giving it away? Are we desperate? Desperate for the failing brick and mortar retail we will be getting?

Big Fun, a long time Cleveland institution, is closing. The owner said brick and mortar is not the future. But Lakewood thinks it is!

And apparently, we think the hospital land is worth nothing.[/quote]


If the land in Lakewood has no value, ask city council to approve the exclusion of our lot's accessed value from our property taxes. There more to this then is in the public eye and the whole hospital fiasco reeks of conflict of interests This includes a City Council that does their bidding in a small backroom in city hall where the Committee of the Whole meets, better known as the largest living organism in Lakewood with multiple bodies and no brains, to strategize with minimal public oversight. The State will never investigate if a conflict of interest occurred in the hospital and land subterfuge deals becasue they are all attorneys. Birds of the same feather, that includes vultures.

Richard Baker wrote:If the land in Lakewood has no value, ask city council to approve the exclusion of our lot's accessed value from our property taxes. There more to this then is in the public eye and the whole hospital fiasco reeks of conflict of interests This includes a City Council that does their bidding in a small backroom in city hall where the Committee of the Whole meets, better known as the largest living organism in Lakewood with multiple bodies and no brains, to strategize with minimal public oversight. The State will never investigate if a conflict of interest occurred in the hospital and land subterfuge deals becasue they are all attorneys. Birds of the same feather, that includes vultures.

MARK THE CALENDAR!

Today is a historic day.
For the first time in many, many years on the Deck, I totally and completely agree with everything Richard said.
Team Summers has a unique way of bringing together people from all parts of the political spectrum.

I think City Hall should consider making a commercial like this one.
Summers and Bullock could show off their singing skills.

I thought I would post this as a reference guide:

This is absolutely not apples-to-apples, but in some work-related research, I ran across a report in the Orlando Sentinel that a 4.2 acre parcel in Longwood FL, where the median home value is $149,600, was appraised at $583,428. It now contains a church, but they want to put up a store. It's in a very residential area - few other nearby businesses show up on Google Maps.

This jumped out at me because of the acreage, so I thought I'd share for reference.

How much is a similar sized piece of land worth in a vibrant business district in Lakewood OH?

From public documents, I believe that the former Lakewood Hospital site has a value that ranges somewhere between about $5M and $20M. However, I believe that the higher figure is an inflated figure created for public relations purposes during the anti-hospital campaign. My documentary presentation on this is from last December and you can find it in "Honesty In Local Government IV".

I am not aware of an actual fair market value figure. I collected what I could find and reported on that information.

I believe that one city planner has estimated the land value at $800,000 per acre.

$800K times 5.7 acres equals $4,560,000.

I will note that the fair market value of the parcel has been tainted by a non-compete clause that would prohibit the building and property from their highest and most valuable use, i.e., as a hospital or other medical facility.

That's what I think I know.

Can anyone post a copy of the current City Code of Ethics referred to on the Vendor form that I posted? It ain't on the city website.