An Easter Gift!

Why this week I received an early Ester gift!

This gift was a 85 page document about machinery row!

Yes 85 pages emails from and to the city from the properties owners on Water St that make up Machinery Row!

As well emails to and from Blackwell/staff and others on the development (or lack there of) this interesting idea.

As I read them I get the idea of kickbacks to the developer, escrow accounts set up for strange uses, lots of Complaining from the original owners on what was going on and the harsh feelings on the subject of working with Blackwell and the City.

I have read this twice as well as shown this to trusted others to get an understanding of what is going on.

This week I plan to share this with members of the Wisconsin Legislature in the hopes of letting them know of what I think is shady dealings in Racine so they can at least stop any more money from being spent by the State on this project.

As well be sending a letter outlining what I have to both HUD and POTUS for I hope for the Feds to stop any grants being given to this and with luck pulling some back.

This and other documents I have will be used as the bases of Ebooks on what I can only see as the most corrupt city in Wisconsin

HOLD THE PRESS!

Unless your are dead or undead  you know that our Mayor John Dickert

shown here

is resigning as Mayor to talk the job of executive director for  Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

details of when he will resign as of 13:00 3/27/17 is not known by this reporter.

I can tell you that reading the form 990 this group Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, is not a rich group and by  my reading of the 990, the last director only received about 110,000 a little less then what Mayor Dickert gets in wages (I will assume The Mayor will be able to get travel, health care  paid that adds to the 110K but say  another 30K or so)

Stories from the street (how much faith you want to put in them is up to you) is that the news getting out was some what unplanned for catching some but not all in surprise.

I can not help but think that without Dickert’s arm twisting that both the Arena and Machinery Row is like dead for with an special election the City will be able to hold a VOTE to see if the public wants an Arena, with public feelings running very much anti arena this would never pass killing any more spending on what I feel is a  Satanic project only serving Mayor Dickert’s ego and lining his pals pockets

Why now vs say when his term ends?

Good question I do not believe at all is the idea that he must act to save the Great Lakes more likely this has much more to do with his getting out as the getting is good:

1. The Journal Times reports that the Tax credits for  Machinery Row are in trouble http://journaltimes.com/news/local/tax-credits-for-machinery-row-project-in-doubt/article_c7da9df4-e333-5c01-a665-ced928188291.html
2. Oh recall the Dickert made Racine a sanctuary city? Guess what Looks like Racine will lose a bunch of money from the feds http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/27/jeff-sessions-says-hell-punish-sanctuaries-cities/ I much rather have police then an Arena. With the Feds going to work and get back past monies how do we repay that since we are all ready in so much debit?

What other Fed money might be in trouble maybe HUD funds? What will Racine do?

Maybe if your Dickert you bail

and If you thought that was interesting I give you this:

The Tick Corry Mason is running for Mayor!

Yes the Carpet Baggier himself Mason is running for Mayor, and you thought things could not get worse well they can!

Mr I love to tax I love to spend your money wants to be Mayor

Very interesting I did not see this turn of events happening.

I believe that Mason have more power in State office vs trying to save Racine from Bankruptcy or in the Tick’s case put us there faster!

Goes to show on any day anything can happen!

 

Why do we spend so much on Downtown?

We sure spend the money on Downtown Racine.

Yet why do we?

If you do not drink, what is there to do?

There is no grocery store, no place to shop for your kid’s clothing. No place I can think of that I or anyone I know can go to buy cloths.

There is no book store ( but we do thank God have a great library) I can think of nothing for kids to do (yes the Heritage is a fantastic museum, but its not set up as a play area for kids)

There is a drug store, a nice bugger place, one eclectic store that is of some interest. What else? A few art galleries that come and go and a Hat store I my self can think of anything other then a few more diner type places. Oh yes the Cycle store + motorcycle store.

I can think of bars lots and lots of bars, and more bars! Off hand 7 bars if I drove downtown I get the exact count is that what we are spending so much money on is an area that drunks can go to part on at?

Is that the idea of the Arena is to draw more to our happy party place?

Sure hope not

Party on Racine!

Why is only a little money!

 

So the City got the go ahead to spend another 500 to 600K on a study that will say we so need this arena (if the study came back and said we had no need would the consult ever work again?)

Note the word in bold ANOTHER, looks like from a commentator in the Journal Times today the City has all ready spend over 100,000 on this idea of an Arena so now the city has pissed away almost 3/4 of a million dollars on this.

I wounder how much we spent on the failed Porters project?

You know a redevelopment that would draw the rich to Downtown a mixed use idea that now is only well a field of gravel.

And lets not forget

Machinery Row

You know the project that we lost what 4 million on? That we lent the developer that he is in default on.

But now will be two housing projects!!!

Go us go Racine!

Are you ready Racine for what is coming?

Are you ready for what is coming? You know you want it after all you been fucked by :

Point Blue

Team Porters

Machinery Row ( Wait til you hear the new idea AND who will pay the bills)

From the Journal Times 8/21/16

“…

The Racine County Board on Tuesday will hear the results of a recent study centered on the possibility of constructing an arena in Racine.

Moreover, the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting mentions the possibility of a hotel in connection to the arena. On Friday, Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave declined to provide details about the hotel in advance of the meeting.  …”

As much as Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave declined to provide details (and why should he he only works for us but looks like he is controlled by Mayor John Dickert)

I will speculate:

1. The location is Downtown Racine thinking the old WE Energy site on Lake St
2. The hotel a long time goal of Mayor John Dickert and will include a convention center thinking this be the filled in 5th St Marina that the County can not sell nor has found any interest in. What better way to dispose of a White Elephant then sell it to the tax payers?
3. The Sports arena will include an indoor Ice rink something else a long time goal of the Downtown Racine crowd wants badly maybe something called for in the Root Works plan
4. The Ice rink we will be told would be used by An NHL farm team we will be told would be moved or started in Racine
5. That the convention center of course would be ran by the same company Venu Works that only loss 300K last year and has trouble filling the Festival Hall in Racine
6. the cost (about say 50 Million) would be split between The City of Racine County of Racine and forced loans I mean donations from the Racine Business community

That local Sport player (s) from Racine we will be told will buy naming rights, to honor another local sports hero.

That there are a few 100K in grants to kick the project off (and pay the developer?)

Of course the report will say  there is a HUGE need for a Sports Complex and Hotel/Convention center. We will be told that many from Chicago would come to Racine to see the Sports team Ice Skate then spend $$ in Downtown Racine, after all just go downtown and see all the cars from IL, and the line of cars coming to Racine on Hwy 11 to visit this Hell hole I mean great city.

Now how will Machinery Row impact this when new details on that project comes out?

Overall just know your not taxed enough and need to pay more to allow the pals of John Dickert to make money off you now be good and bend over because its coming

 

 

Machinery Row! Is dead dead dead or a new set of lies? With update!

From The Journal Times http://journaltimes.com/business/local/racine-committee-to-discuss-machinery-row-in-closed-session/article_bfaacc4e-3fe7-5dbc-8bfc-bb987ff9130a.html

“… The Racine Executive Committee will meet in closed session at 7 p.m. today to discuss Machinery Row, the proposed mixed-use, riverfront redevelopment along Water Street. No open session will follow…”

Why what might this be about?

Could it be the fact that the loan from the city of Racine to Rodney Blackwell for this project even after an extension has not been repaid AND I can find nothing about another being granted. Might is be about that? From the records I can find (like none) there is no proof he has paid the City of Racine anything and with no signed agreement between the city and Blackwell approved by the Aldermen will he ever?

Did the City here unlike on the Main Street fiasco file a lean on the properties? Did Blackwell sign a personal responsibly note on this loan or could he simply walk away or in his case drive away?

Might it be what one discovers when searching Tax records on the properties making up Machinery Row will that be discussed?

This reporter thinks that Blackwell can not do this project and will claim to be looking for partners to help him finish something maybe low income housing maybe an Arena perhaps a Casino God knows what.

All bets are off if we ever see dime one back from yet what is looking like another failed project under Mayor Dickert

Note

there was a meeting of the Executive committee  last night on Machinery Row with no action taken, two points No action needing to be reported in the meting minuets taken. Any information given was not shared with the reporter from the Journal Times nor any Alderman said anything.

My guess and after living under Mayor John Dickert if all was going well there would have been a press event.

So the question is when will we know how bad things are in Machinery Row how will the City explain this away?

Take this opportunity to check on the project as I would and the J-T should with the property and tax records.

A search on how well Rodney Blackwell is doing with his projects in Iowa might be useful too.

Who is allowed to own “bars” in Downtown Racine?

Who is allowed to own bars in Downtown Racine? Lets see what the Newspaper might tell us

From the Journal Times http://journaltimes.com/news/local/liquor-license-denied-for-proposed-gas-station/article_93cecea8-c3d3-545e-8885-0946ba26f32f.html

we have this “… Phesal Ckadan and Bashar Qedan, the father-son duo which runs Twins Food Mart, 1812 16th St., appeared in front of the Public Safety and Licensing Committee Monday with their developer, Eihab Atout, seeking to exceed the city’s Class A liquor license quota at the proposed central-city gas station. The proposed location, 930 Washington Ave., is within 1,000 feet of two other liquor-selling establishments; the committee unanimously denied their request. That means the gas station, if opened, will not be licensed to sell alcohol…”  this continues ..

“It’s a million-dollar investment,” Atout said. “We have to succeed.”

When Fifth District Alderman Steve Smetana questioned Atout further on why the liquor license was necessary, Atout compared the potential gas station to other local businesses.

“We want to do the same thing as Kwik Trip,” Atout said. “We want to do the same thing as Walgreens. We want to do the same thing as everybody else.”

Mind you the owners of this Station are black and own stores in the inner city my understanding is the owners do a lot for the area that Twins is in in the inner City of Racine

but read what the City has to say .., ”

Deputy City Attorney Nicole Larsen told the committee that, in her opinion, the application to exceed the quota didn’t meet the four conditions necessary for approval outlined in the city’s ordinances. Those four conditions are: the submission of petition that outlines a business plan and relevant experiences; proof of ownership; evidence that the business will have “greater economic impact;” and evidence that the business will substantially improve the tax base.

“The ordinance sets out very clearly the requirement that you need to meet,” Larsen said. “It’s your obligation to show the committee that you can meet those requirements.”…”

Of course they weere unable to do so and FYI  the owners of Twins are Minorities

On the other side we have this, Right off the top we have this line that speaks volumes to me “…

From the Racine Journal Times  http://journaltimes.com/business/local/downtown-building-sold/article_bd8af615-018e-52f3-adb8-633df1d66e63.html

RACINE – Downtown tavern owner Doug Nicholson has bought the long-vacant 311 Main St. and said rehabbing it “will be our biggest project yet.”

is the owner of three Downtown businesses: Ivanhoe Pub & Eatery, 231 Main St.; Envi Ultra Lounge, 316 Main St.; and Carriage House Liquor Co., 220 State St…”

Word on the street is that this Building will be turned into a large Brew Pub

All three bars (if you can drink at a counter to me its a bar)

All three are within 1000′ of  other bars in the areas of Downtown Racine

So why can he keep getting more bars under his control in Downtown Racine what is different here?

Might it be that be because Nicholson is a long time pal of Mayor Dickert of Racine, who has worked on Dicker Campaigns and serves on the powerful Redevelopment Committee (who serving on this refused to vote on issues with Machinery Row conflict of interests perhaps?)

Might in be because unlike the Owners of Twins who sought to open a liquor store as part of their proposed Gas Station (and got turned down) is White, that Nicholson is allowed to open/buy Bar after bar in Racine?

This will be a very interesting story to follow, and time to look into past meetings of the RDA to see if past meetings of that group might shed light into this.

 

 

 

 

 

How do you lose 800K

From the Racine Journal Times 8/6/16  link http://journaltimes.com/news/local/mayor-aldermen-discuss-k-loan-in-closed-session/article_bb6b4cb7-a371-5659-81b3-0414b556c72a.html

… “RACINE — The City of Racine’s Executive Committee met in closed session Thursday evening, at least in part to discuss an $800,000 loan the city proposed writing off in June.

The Executive Committee includes Mayor John Dickert and five aldermen — Dennis Wiser, Q.A. Shakoor II, Melissa Lemke, Jeff Coe and Terry McCarthy. Dickert said Friday that the meeting was called to keep the aldermen informed on the latest with the loan, made to the now-defunct Main-Lake LLC, between 1993 and 1995 to fund housing at 419-425 Main St.

“It was really just advising the council as to what’s going on,” the mayor said. “A lot of council members have been asking about it so we just wanted to say this is where we’re at.”

State law allows city officials to meet in closed session to discuss strategy with legal counsel. Dickert couldn’t comment on the exact progress made on evaluating the loan. …

when last we read the City of Racine was going to write off the 800K loan made in the 1990’s for the building had been sold twice (if not three times) and if I understand right a lean was never placed on this building and as the story,

… “According to the June release, Elaine Ekes, the city’s consulting attorney, determined that the city would be unable to recoup the loan because the Main-Lake enterprise has dissolved. There was also no collection agreement with Main-Lake’s former parent company, The Alexander Company Inc., a Madison-based real estate developer, or any sort of mortgage taken out on the loan.

The Alexander Company’s president, Joe Alexander, said his company ceased involvement in Main-Lake in late 1997.”

Strong word on the street is that the City of Racine is going to sue to recover the loan.

Who would they sue? The current owner has a clean title, as my guess is the lat owner did, as we will find, all owners did, So then who will the City sue?

How do you not follow what must be SOP anytime  the city makes a loan THAT big?

Or maybe something else might explain what I can only call gross misconduct.

What do you think happened?

Begs the question what is going on with Machinery Row, after all  been three months and no word on what is going on with the loan the City gave on this. Why?

 

 

 

So

Just for fun thought I come by and see what if anything was new here. After all I have not posted anything here since 2015 then since I was not using this anymore I delete the site.

Then ….

I saw that people still came here that was kinda a shock more shocking was to see that comments were being left, not by spam botts trying to post some type of ads but from others who took the time to read what I had to say then take the time to write something.

More amazing is that it was from the hater group, so this poorly written with shit grammar and worse spelling blog is so upsetting the Pro Dickert  types that they are moved to defend him and his policies.

Very interesting and kinda motivating if only to be a burr in the side of our Mayor who I still see as being the number one reason why Racine is even more then ever falling into ruin

How is Team Porters doing anyway?

Wait, What: Wait; What: Popular Theories on Machinery Row

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