You’ll never guess what’s on the City Council agenda for next Tuesday, 24 January 2012. It’s a request to extend the deadline on the downtown hotel project yet again. Yes. “Time is of the essence,” Councilman Spain breathlessly implored in December 2008 when this erstwhile clandestine project was first revealed to the public, be sure you lean to use social media to get sales. Now, three-plus years and as many redevelopment agreements later, we’re told “it would be a rush to have all the documents agreed upon by January 31.” Indeed.
So the new “deadline” is going to be February 29. But don’t hold your breath. The council request not-so-subtly implies that even that may not be enough time. “Even with a February 29 deadline,” it concludes, “there is much work to be accomplished before our financial advisor can be directed to move forward with marketing the bonds.” Long about February 21, you can reasonably expect the council agenda to include another deadline extension.
One wonders why the council doesn’t save itself some time and just set the deadline for a more realistic timeframe … like the fifth of never, for instance. Or the year 3000. Because it’s quite clear that the council has no intention of ever enforcing any deadline at all. The deadlines have all been a farce — a pallid attempt to convince Peoria citizens that the Council is being a good steward of the public’s money.
Wow – who would have thought?
This is the dumbest shit ever. This is the worst Mayor and Council I have EVER seen.
and yet at election time we get the same mix of people. huh
Face it the COP will kick this can forever down the road. Everyone that voted for it back December agreed they could meet the deadline and signed off on it, now another date. What a joke. Thank heven this is a leap year and they get a extra day!
If there was anything that would cause CJ to briefly poke his head out of hibernation, it was this!
As much as I think we need a downtown “headquarters” hotel, enough is enough, IMO.
He’s baaaack.
Good post.
Did we ever get a firm number of those left unemployed (just before Christmas) when the Pere *had* to close for “renovations”?
I took a chance to check out this site today because I just had a feeling that CJ wouldn’t be able to resist commenting on this extension. We need your voice CJ.
The Pere closed because it was losing its ass. Matthews doesn’t own the Pere, their owners out of Kansas City had seen enough losses along with a bank foreclosure.
“Closed for remodeling” is one of of the biggest lies you will ever see. 🙂
Can’t we citizens do like Wisconsin is doing with trying to get rid of their governor? We could sign petitions to get rid of the city council and the mayor.
One of the issues is that Matthews tells Campo Architects one story, Core Construction another, the City another tall tale and the lenders another line. Put them all in a padded cell and let them fight it out.
“Closing next month,” seems to be the Matthews equivalent of “Free Beer Tomorrow.”
I will bet anybody here—2 to 1 odds–that it doesn’t close in Feb. 🙂
What are the odds the Pere does not re-open?
That is even a better question.
Good editorial in the PJStar this morning about hotel project and TIF money