Since December 15, 2008, when the City Council first passed the $39 million redevelopment agreement for the Marriott Hotel deal downtown, 955 days have elapsed. That’s a little over 2.6 years for a project that had to be passed that night — after only two days of public disclosure and without any public input — because “time [was] of the essence,” according to Councilman Spain.
On May 25, 2010, a revised $37 million redevelopment agreement was passed by the Council. Developer Gary Matthews said at that time that construction “would begin immediately,” according to the official minutes of the City Council. It’s been 429 days since then. Note that the dictionary defines “immediately” as “without lapse of time; without delay; instantly; at once.” This does not appear to be Mr. Matthews definition, however.
On May 1, 2011 — 88 days ago — the Journal Star reported that the hotel project “could be finalized by the Fourth of July,” according to Mayor Ardis, and that “City Council has to vote on changes to the redevelopment agreement, which are likely to take place in July.” The last City Council meeting of July was two days ago, and no revised redevelopment agreement has come before the council, nor has any work begun on the Hotel Pere Marquette block.
955, 429, 88, 2 — what does it all add up to? Failure. The council should officially notify the developer that they are terminating the agreement by its own terms, “immediately” — by the dictionary’s definition, not the developers’.
They won’t terminate the agreement because the Council and Administration are milk toast and terminating the agreement would be a wonderful development for the taxpayers and the City of Peoria.
Dead on balls CJ. I agree 100% with your assessment on this. Spain said we had to move quickly. So what has happened. Nothing.. Time to admit it was wrong and go. Sadly our council can’t do that. They have no reverse apparently.
And of course, Peoria taxpayers should be reminded at every opportunity that when Matthews was asked “How come your re-development fee will not decrease proportionately with the reduction of the size of the project?” he invited the council to “not vote for it”. In response, not only did the council members not insist on bonified answers, they still voted for it. Shameful.
The goose to lay the golden eggs has yet to meet it’s mate so look for the COP to shell out more time and offer more money. Might even offer stud service.
What I fear now with all the delay is that the developer will come back to council saying construction costs have now increased, and he needs $3-$5 million more for this deal to happen (with a proportionate increase in his fee, possibly).
Don’t get me wrong, I do hope this Marriot-Pere project will be a success. I’m just tired of waiting and waiting for the wrecking ball to show up on Main Street.
Spain and company are busy spending tax money we don’t have for more developers. Quinn was in town. The picture of Spain with Van Auken is priceless because that is what he has become about. By any means necessary we will get money for developers. Crime has not been addressed at all despite a number of incidents in the city. Quinn’s money comes from increased taxes and by shuffling the 1 billion dollars owed to medicare payments to the budget for the next year. Meaning, we’re not going to pay that. Be poor and try to get doctors to take you. They aren’t getting paid, so you go without. Tax credits in a bankrupt state comes from increasing the taxes on the backs of the people and not spending money on the things we need. COP deficits will be addressed in the same manner, we don’t have money (for services–always funds for a hot dog stand or another strip mall) so taxes will have to be raised or the police force gutted even further. The lady from the south end spoke at the council and reminded them that none of them have to hear or experience gun shots or have their tires slashed or cars stolen. she spoke about these problems spreading to the bluffs. Not one response, but a few dirty looks. We don’t talk about those things and they will just go away. Don’t look under that huge bulge in the carpet, that’s where we sweep things. I am curious as to what long term family wage jobs this money creates. There will be some short term construction jobs, but much like the albatross of a museum and the hotel, what employees will be home owners? Maybe one or two upper management staff? Maids and bellhops and food service jobs do not drive the economy or housing market. The only one who benefits is the developer and his fat fees.
Yuck. Downtown Peoria is dying, despite the positive developments on the Warehouse District yesterday, and no one in power around here seems to care. Why hasn’t this project started? And if it’s not going to, then END IT ALREADY and find a good use for that prime property in the heart of downtown. For crying out loud this is pathetic. Our local leaders need to start LEADING.
Blame the people of Peoria. Last election the people could have changed this council but they instead voted a lot of the same people back in. This will be the case with the District seats. Some I guess love a drunken council woman fighting the police. Nothing changes and nothing will.
There will be changes, Emtronics. Do your part and others will do theirs. Don’t kid yourselves,crime is all over and we need some real leadership around the horseshoe to deal with it. I’d love to see a revived Pere, but this plan isn’t the way to go. Time for Matthews to go away.
Conrad: I didn’t vote for one incumbent last time out except I divided my 5 votes with Sandberg. He is the only sane person on the council except that this council is so nuts, they make Sandberg look like Rainman. Yet Turner was re-elected and CJ didn’t even get close. How could this be?
I was disapointed with the election results, too. I would have prefered CJ around the horseshoe, too, in addition to retired Turner and Spain. In 2013,we have another chance to improve the Council. We can either fight or we can sit on our hands and do nothing. I’m gonna fight.
I look for the Pere to close shortly if Matthews doesn’t step up.
Section 8 Housing? Next to City Hall? That’ll chap some asses.
Emtronics, conrad,
Ditto. I voted for Sandberg and CJ. I can not believe the citizens of Peoria continue to elect Turner. I think he has shown his true colors with his statement about Emo’s and Coney’s! I would like to know who has the 11 outstanding loans for the $752,000. Also, who held the bad loans for $231,973 that were written off. Spain and Van Auken are a whole other issue. Weaver has fallen right into the fold. It is truly time to put this project in park and scrap the whole thing. Tell Matthews to s#!t or get off the pot!
And personally I hope he s#!ts. Peoria already has to many white elephants!
Also it was initially proposed as a glass building bolstering a full service hotel that would add character to the downtown. Then the vision changed to a plain box of a building that will hold an economy hotel label. (Marriot courtyard right?) whoooopeeeee
mrdippy, Courtyards’s are hardly economy hotels. They are just not full service.
I hope someone eventually wises up and gets this whole mess cancelled.
Correct on Courtyard. They are not in the economy class, but in the business class of hotels.
District 150, regardless of the class, what was rammed through by the council because we must have it. I believe the terms critical and cruticial, which have become as much of a drinking game as “shovel Ready” is to this council, was a full service hotel attatched to the civic center. A suscint plan would have been building the hotel next to civic center on the lot allowing a relatively easy attatchment. instead we have a courtyard…not a full service hotel and a revamped Pere, which has yet to ever make without some type of government intervention, oh yes, some type of skyway to attatch it to the civic center. It is a bad project, poorly executed, and a rape of the taxpayers both on the city and state level. Neither have the proverbial pot to piss in. Now we have the warehouse district, costing the taxpayers millions but where is the private investment? the contracts, the proposals? Nada. The state can’t pay it’s bills, the feds were hours from default, but the city powers that be have campaign contributers to benefit so who cares, it’s only tax dollars. Apparantly when the driving force behind these projects put on campaign literature that he was a fiscal conservate, that must have meant “I won’t spend my buddy’s money, let’s use tax dollars”.
checking for details:
And… the money for the warehouse district is reported to be coming in increment payments although now it is to be ‘expedited’ on some seemingly imaginary fast track while the state has zero $$$ available to pay its’ unpaid bills to contractors and other service providers for services already delivered. And the revenue source for this $10 million plus pot of emperor’s gold is still awaiting the funding source of which video gaming remains undecided. Am I missing something here?
No. Sounds like the $5 million the state is providing to the museum project via the governor’s special grant. By the way, does anyone know if that money was ever received from the state in any form including ‘increment’ payments?
Buh-bye.
want to take a bet on the hotel project? I believe it to be toast, but our illustrious leaders are scrambling behind the scenes to, “maybe” get the Pere renovated, but no new connector. Like that will help……then the Mayor will want to take over the operations at the Civic Center and claim victory as city leaders pour even more money down a rat hole.
I believe the Pere project, though needed, will not happen.
Conrad,
fight what? your back peddling on BVA last election broke the sound barrier in three states.
You need to check your details, checking for details. I supported BVA in the last election, mostly becauseI felt she had done an overall good job. However, many of her actions during her second term have demonstrated to me that she has not been representing her district well. I work with her and provide input to her because she is suppossed to be representing the 2nd district and I feel that she is in need of community input. However, I will not be able to support her re-election in the future. I’m hardly the first to have “BVA remorse” and I doubt I will be the last. It is sad, really, because I beleived- and still beleive- that she has the potential to be an outstanding council member, but her carrying the Mayor’s water and her cowtowing to special interests has muted her effectiveness.
From what I understand you supported her because she promised your association that she would address underhill st right before the election and although sources indicate that you were told she would renig and when she did you were most upset and posted as such on here.
The Underhill Street situation was and is important, Checking, but my support or lack of support of BVA never totally hung on just one issue. As I said, I believed at one time she was a good rep, in that she worked with and supported her constituents. Unfortunately, I don’t believe that is the case today. I don’t agree with most of her votes on the Council floor and I was particularly appalled by her recent ad hominem attack on one of her constituents, a well-known neighborhood activist. She was elected to work for the people of the Second District and she no longer does so.
Day 988 or Day 989 ???? Say it isn’t so or is it?
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1069103674/Downtown-Peoria-hotel-deal-appears-dead