OT: What's your take on the MC, BB, CV fiasco?

[rkp]

I have not been able to read the most recent batch of articles, so I'm not sure if all this info is public knowledge but this is what I know for fact about th situation:
1) as part of Stuart Olsen's contract to do the renos on the convention centre, it was agreed that Stuart Olsen would find a developer for a hotel for the land across from the Carlton inn. If they failed to do do they fever a roughly $16 million fine. They couldn't find someone to develop so tried settling with a payment of $3.5 million.
2) chipman was approsched while still with cityventure to develop this land. CV didn't feel they could do it with out funds.
3) chipman steps down from cityventure to avoid further conflicts of interest in case this proceeds
4) as chipman owns the land across the street from the land where Stuart Olsen was to build a hotel, true north was approached about building the hotel here.
5) chipman agrees to do this and fulfill Stuart Olsen's contract and also add the true north sq extra to the hotel. (Despite TN already building s hotel blocks away)
6) chipman pays millions of his OWN dollars to get that video and plans drawn up.
7) chipman plans to go ahead and invest his own money- not tax dollars to build all this.a project that will not make him the amount of money a 400 million dollar investment should. (Sacrificing money for your city- not ripping it off)
8) bowman lies through his teeth in a bid for national media attention [mod]
9) chipman does nothing until people start hashing hi and TN for wanting to do something good to the city. Finally cracks and holds press conference.

Find me another person willing to do anything with that land, let along plunge millions of their own dollars into it , other than chipman. Stop ripping him for his actions. There was no back room deal. Everything was done within the confines of the law. If the mayor and others disagree, then change the law and don't let deals like that happen in the future. Chipman's transaction however was legal.

Why can't some other developer put forth a proposal of development for that site other than true north....is it because itis privately owned land(225Carleton) by MPI....is 220 Carleton privately or is it owned by CV, which makes it in theory publically owned land? If the land at 225 Carleton is owned by MPI, why is CV signing documents or options on that property?

 

[TCsmyth]

Since you've been paying attention, can you give us the breakdown of where $400 million for this development is coming from?

I'm talking about the Stuart Olson deal for hotel, and the option on the land. And my reference to "paying attention" is the media and the so-called City Hall folks including the Mayor that pretend to know nothing about this. Sorry for not clarifying that point.

With regards to $400 million, that is an approximate number that I heard Chipman reference when a reporter asked the value of this project. Where it comes from is not what the controversy has been about.

 

[BigZ65]

I'm talking about the Stuart Olson deal for hotel, and the option on the land. And my reference to "paying attention" is the media and the so-called City Hall folks including the Mayor that pretend to know nothing about this. Sorry for not clarifying that point.

With regards to $400 million, that is an approximate number that I heard Chipman reference when a reporter asked the value of this project. Where it comes from is not what the controversy has been about.

It is part of the controversy. Chipman pulled out the shiny video and made the suggestion that the city insisting on due process would scuttle this planned $400 million development, without actually putting forward any details. I'm sure many people are thinking it's $400 million of private money was circling the drain, and that got the rabble rabble crowd up in arms against the city.

Now today there are reports that Chipman's proposed hotel is at 225 Carlton and the 220 Carlton site (the one Stuart Olson Dominion was tasked with finding a hotelier and building a hotel on) is not going to be a hotel under the True North-Centreventure plan.

Simply, all of this needs to hit the floor of council, particularly if they are changing the scope of what has already been approved.

 

[BigZ65]

What's acceptable to you?

Don't care personally. I'm all for public funds being used for public benefit within reason (keeping in mind that the upcoming budget will be cutting basic services while raising taxes), but I'd like to know the details to a massive development before it is approved. This has been uncommon in this city for a decade.

 

[scelaton]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...-branch-291141251.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-1

 

[scelaton]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...oject-291877401.html?cx_navSource=d-top-story