The Observation Deck

Today the rumors of Carnegie pulling out of the One-Lakewood deal has hit the streets a day or two earlier than the announcement was to happen. As we all know this deal was in trouble the moment it was announced. Everyone in town shook their head when Carnegie was chosen over the other companies that at least had some track record in this. Of course another thing that bothered Lakewoodites was that Carnegie was being fronted by the same man that started the whole gutting of the Hospital, Ex Mayor Ed FitzGerald.

In what was shown to be and incredible small group of Lakewoodites steering the entire debacle. One of the final blows would be Lakewood's Planning Director being offered a job to leave the city and the project. Like the Ex-Mayor's connection to the start of the closing the hospital, the person hiring him away has been part of this secret project since 2010 as well Did they want it to succeed? Hard to believe. While those connected with Mayor Summers, FitzGerald and past Council are desperately trying to pin this on the current administration. Even with leaks like the ones making the rounds to get their spin out first.


Of course Team Neo is the employer of Jay Foran of Build Lakewood, LHF and Three Arches and on and on.
Was also the person promising Diamond Dave Estrop potential new foundation to pay for an inflatable roof over Stadium, or a field at LHS, over 5 years ago.





From Deck Story of 2015. "Grandest" City Corruption Scandal Ever?"
http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewt ... an#p172462


But Lakewoodites I hope you have gotten smarter. Think of the lies they have told you since 2010.

Residents know, that since 2010 when Mayor FitzGerald started this, till the day Ed FitzGerald pulled out of the deal he created himself, the "Ed FitzGerald/Mike Summers/Carnegie Big Black Hole In Lakewood's DowntowN" is on them. After 5 years of fighting for documents, we all know that.

More on this to follow.

We now wait for the Mayor's announcement.



April 17, 2020

Friday, April 17, 2020
4:00pm

Since taking office on January 1, 2020, my administration has been focused on redeveloping the former Lakewood Hospital site into an asset for our community. The prior administration entered into a Development and Use Agreement (“DUA”) with Carnegie Management and Development Corporation (“Carnegie”) to develop this site. My administration has faithfully fulfilled its obligations under the DUA, including completing the demolition and site preparation work contemplated by the DUA.

The work was completed, and, on February 7th, the City delivered the final certification letter to Carnegie verifying completion of the City’s work at the Lakewood Hospital site. Additionally, the City obtained a No Further Action (NFA) letter from a certified environmental professional confirming abatement at the Lakewood Hospital site in accordance with standards under Ohio’s Voluntary Action Program (VAP). Additionally, the City was willing to support obtaining a Covenant Not to Sue from the Ohio E.P.A., but could not obtain Carnegie’s approval to proceed.

While the City performed its obligations, Carnegie has struggled to put together a financing approach that supported the project. Over the course of many months, including face-to-face meeting with me, the City engaged in negotiations with Carnegie in an effort to address the financial gap. Although some progress seemed to be made, as I communicated on the Council Docket on March 16, 2020, the financial gap posed a serious challenge for the project. On March 10, 2020, my administration submitted detailed deal points to Carnegie to continue negotiations. To date, Carnegie has not responded to the deal points from that letter.

Instead of engaging in negotiations, Carnegie has taken the position, articulated in letters to the City on April 3rd and April 10th, that Carnegie has terminated the DUA. Even though this termination is a default by Carnegie, Carnegie has laid blame on the City, citing an alleged failure by the City to timely satisfy the site work conditions in the DUA. Carnegie has provided no evidence to support this allegation or its unfounded claim that Carnegie is entitled to reimbursement. These claims are inappropriate and unjustified, and a violation of the trust of the people of Lakewood. While I had hoped for an amicable parting of the ways with Carnegie, I will not be intimidated by Carnegie’s illegitimate claims.

The termination by Carnegie has not changed my commitment to redeveloping the former Lakewood Hospital site into an asset for our community. We know that the site, centrally located in the heart of Lakewood and with demolition, abatement and site work completed, is one of the most attractive sites for development in all of Northeast Ohio. No community can rival our density and vibrancy. I am encouraged because I have already received new interest in this site from other developers. We will move forward on this site in a safe and thoughtful manner. We have an opportunity to bring to Lakewood the right project from the right team and are eager to get this underway.

...

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It’s official.

Carnegie, Ed Fitzgerald, Mike Summers, et al f*cked us all.

No one would listen.

Hope you’re all happy!

Hey Jenn Pae - Ms Mouthpiece. You got played.

http://neo-trans.blogspot.com/2020/04/c ... e.html?m=1

Best to build a higher fence and wait fot a better deal. It may take awhile.

It's time to woo Metro.

Hate to burst all your optimistic bubbles, but the economy is entering a recession and it’s going to last a while.

The BIG HOLE is all we’re going to have.

Let’s see how quick all those Build Lakewood a$$holes get out of town now that we have no choice but to go to the taxpayers to cover this loss.

Ya think the “foundations” that have all our money might do the right thing and give it back?

I see the BS machine is already geared up on social media: blame Meghan George, blame the pandemic.


The FACTS are that this was doomed months ago, well before we even knew there was going to be a pandemic.

It was doomed from the get-go because it was all based on false promises, false numbers, back room secret deals.

Blame the real villains - the former administration, Team Summers, the Build Lakewood sheep, Ed Fitzgerald, and all the cast from back to the failed West End. All a bunch of failures - but ask them - geniuses in their own minds!

pj bennett wrote:It's time to woo Metro.

Does Metro have the resources at this time to woo?

Dan Alaimo wrote:

pj bennett wrote:It's time to woo Metro.

Does Metro have the resources at this time to woo?

Dan

It is funny, a month ago I laughed at Meg over the thought. She might be on to something.

The FEDS are about to release $2 trillion for infrastructure. Like roads, EPA project, Bridges, Government Buildings, Hospitals, etc.

If the right deal could be put together, I could see Metro, the VA, or even CCF getting a new full service hospital to run in Lakewood.

I must apology to Meg, ever time I post something like this for laughing.

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I was in City Hall auditorium when the finalists made their presentations. (I probably still have my notes somewhere.) I have followed every stage of "One Lakewood Place," from its prehistory through today.

Again, and again, and again, the evidence indicated that this developer and its proposal did not make sense by a fair accounting. From that too-obviously "whatever" presentation in 2017, through last year when a real estate professional pointed out to me that nothing anywhere on the site (with its, what, quarter of a mile border?) displayed any contact info for an interested person. Through today.

Just as "if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…" if every indication is that there's not really a credible redevelopment option, well, the exit of what purported anyway to be one is not a loss. It's an arrival, at last, at the starting line for the path to a real solution.

Something that bears mentioning at this point in this discussion is the restrictive covenant that was part of the deal.

In response, Mike Summers, Tom Bullock, Jen Pae, and the rest of the crew offered this comment to the people of Lakewood:

Carnegie, who everyone agreed was the worst possible choice, had hinted at problems all along. That came to a head in early December when they threatened to pull out. At the time, the Mayor was Mike Summers. Mayor George had kept as much of the group dealing with the project on the city's payroll, in an effort to get past the bluster. Of course we know how that ended. By late December our planning director was telling people about his new job offer, which he ended up taking. Meanwhile what Carnegie needed from the city grew and grew and grew. To proportions the city could not afford. We are totaling the amounts, but it appears additional $8 million+ would be need just to move the project along. At times an additional amount believed to be as high as $1.5 million a year for the garage use from the city.

From our story of May 16, 2016



By January the writing was on the wall. The very deal conceived and orchestrated by Ed FitzGerald, Mike Summers, Bullock, Madigan, Litten, Anderson and others was dead.

Not only was it dead, it ended exactly the opposite way those people said it would not end.

To date, for those keeping track, is has been nearly a $500 million dollar turnaround.

Now Lakewood hospital has been squandered again, but the very same people.

Lakewood, will you ever learn?

Mayor George should call in the Feds.

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Jim O'Bryan wrote:
Mayor George should call in the Feds.
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Damn straight she should.

cmager wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:
Mayor George should call in the Feds.
.

Damn straight she should.

When did we start talking about this? I don't have the patience to look it up. It was a long while ago.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Dan Alaimo wrote:

pj bennett wrote:It's time to woo Metro.

Does Metro have the resources at this time to woo?

Dan

It is funny, a month ago I laughed at Meg over the thought. She might be on to something.

The FEDS are about to release $2 trillion for infrastructure. Like roads, EPA project, Bridges, Government Buildings, Hospitals, etc.

If the right deal could be put together, I could see Metro, the VA, or even CCF getting a new full service hospital to run in Lakewood.

I must apology to Meg, ever time I post something like this for laughing.

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Put another way: would any major health-care organization ever do business with Lakewood again?
In the view of large corporations, I would think that we are damaged goods.