The Coliseum...A Memorial...The Swim Center...The Difference Between an Agreement to Negotiate and the End of a Negotiation...Are people mad about Brass not being 'the one' or that another one (anyone) is gone? And of course, NOW WHAT?
Earlier this week, City Council voted to end negotiations with BRASS, a business who had a plan to create a $90M Bayfront renovation complete with a hotel, an apartment, a movie theater and retail space.
The vote was 3-4 to end the negotiations. Caller article here
Council members Chris Adler, Nelda Martinez, John Marez and Mark Scott voted to end the negotiations. Council members Kevin Kieschnick, Larry Elizondo and Priscilla Leal voted against ending the negotiations.
Brent Chesney abstained from previous coliseum discussions because of his partial ownership of the IceRays
Mayor Joe Adame decided to abstain from discussions because he owns property nearby.
Mayor Adame set October 27 as the deadline for a coliseum decision shortly after he took office in May.
On October 27, the deadline, a vote was called to continue negotiations. When those negotiations ended Tuesday several things happened.
1) Chesney lifted his cone of silence and came out blazing saying that the deadline was unreasonable and that this size of deal would always have taken longer than the Oct. 27 date--that those who voted to end negotiations treated BRASS unfairly and that a mutually advantageous deal would have been struck with more time.
2) Mayor Adame, seemingly unhappy with the vote, asked for a legal opinion from former city attorney Jimmy Bray, which will say if Adame indeed has a legal conflict preventing him from voting on the issue.
3) The city has begun sharpening their knives and pitchforks and buying up all the torches in the area. Academy reports that even their citronella tiki torches have sold out for a yet to be determined future riot on city hall. This effort is being led most vocally--the guys getting the most media time--by a Facebook group called "GROW! CORPUS CHRISTI ... We support the Brass Real Estate Coliseum redevelopment!" - Find it here. In a few days they've grown from one person to just under 1700.
4) Rey Madrigal, a local veteran is getting major press in leading a petition effort to save the coliseum, is in attendance at the meeting. Remember that Joe McComb unsuccessfully led a petition effort to get the coliseum. He said in the Caller Times, "I believe that Memorial Coliseum should be restored back to its original form"
5) I've heard for the first time in all this that their may be an actual cloud on title issue for the coliseum land mandating that the land is to be used for nothing but park space IN PERPETUITY
6) Everyone begins asking what is next?
Before I go there let's talk about the current climate.
We don't know much. What we do know--Chesney's very vocal opinion and a few snippets from Mark Scott in local news outlets--needs to be put through a spin filter (as usual...no offense to those two gentlemen).
We know that an angry, frustrated, community feels that city government isn't working our city.
Consider this:
1) Very few people truly care what happens to The Memorial Coliseum...as long as SOMETHING happens. And through this correct process with a 'new' council: an RFP, public presentations, selecting a potential partner, and closed door communications, here we are again.
That we're 'here' again is the point of frustration. The coliseum isn't the issue. The issue is the inability for CC to grow, to progress, to become a place proud to live that attracts young people from elsewhere, and keeps young people here.
This city is dying. We can not keep our kids here and we can't attract young people down (speaking generally...one can always point to the few exceptions) and that declaration comes from the city's biggest optimist.
And city leaders, hear me: People aren't mad that BRASS isn't the one. They're mad because, again, another opportunity is lost.
Now we can't discount that this opportunity may not have been good for the city long or short term
So let's look at our now what options:
a) Reconsider BRASS. A winning vote member (Chris Adler, Nelda Martinez, John Marez and Mark Scott) from the decision to end negotiations has to call for a new vote and then there has to be a majority vote the other way. Chesney can't vote. Adame won't (and probably can't) vote. So will the original three that voted to continue negotiations (Kevin Kieschnick, Larry Elizondo and Priscilla Leal) still vote that way (At least a couple won't) AND will another of the 'winning' four change their vote? No.
b) Go back to the other organizations who participated in the RFP
i) namely the Swim Center
c) submit a new RFP for a whole new slew of proposals
this would satisfy Tim Lange, owner of the hockey team, who said in a Caller article today that if Brass is out he would like to make the coliseum the home of the IceRays once again. Today's Article
d) Do nothing...let it continue the building rot
e) Renovate to it's original form a la the current petition
e) Tear it down
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The Joe Now What Plan
Step One: Clear the title issue. Can you have any for profit businesses on the land? According to a document I've seen no you may not.
Step Two: ALL THE CARDS ON THE TABLE. How can anyone say they're pro BRASS or the pro BRASS deal on 10/31/09 with no facts about the closed door negotiations? Why did the four vote against continuing negotiations. We need to know. That silence when Chesney is being so vocal leads to premature distrust. Perhaps tomorrow's Caller article will shed light on the issue and perhaps that's what 'the four' are waiting on.
Step Three: Avoid the swim center
Step Four: present an alternative plan.
And here it is:
Coming Soon
