Ever wonder why its taken the Webbs 2 months to finally demolish the whole block?
Well, apparently today is Jim Gray’s birthday, if my source is correct.
Yes, Dudley Webb is satan.
Here are some depressing photos from Logan of the Rosenberg being bulldozed last night:
Lexington Vice-Mayor Jim Gray is laying down the law with the Webbs: either you show us the financing behind the CentrePointe project, or you don’t get any of our tax dollars.
”Show me the money“ was the refrain of Lexington Vice Mayor Jim Gray during and after a meeting Friday concerning the planned 35-story CentrePointe hotel and condominium project.
And again, an attorney for CentrePointe developers The Webb Companies said ”No.“
Gray was again seeking proof that developers Dudley and Woodford Webb and their business have the more than $200 million needed to build the project. The developers, through attorney Darby Turner, have declined to provide any proof of funding or to publicly identify financial backers.
Gray, getting ever more vocal in his concerns about the planned hotel and condominium complex, also again challenged the business merits of the project.
He questioned whether the complex’s condominiums could bring in $450 a square foot, as the Webbs plan to sell them for, and whether the hotel rooms could bring in $250 to $300 a night, as planned.
Lexington is now having trouble selling existing condominiums for $200 a square foot and the average hotel room charge is $100 a night, or less, Gray said.
***********
Gray said that if the hotel and condominium complex plan is unsound, then talking about public improvements using TIF money is raising false expectations.
”You can’t talk about the ornaments if you don’t have the Christmas tree,“ he said.
How long do we have to wait until Gray becomes mayor???
cross-posted @ BGR:
Difference of opinion is one of the things we all have to come to terms with. Politicians, to a much greater degree than the average civilian blogger, are required to deal with these differences of opinion with grace and neutrality, even when they have already chosen a side. Jim Newberry is, however, making an ass of himself. Not only did he decide to send out these haughty, asinine and childish emails – he decided to call out a respected citizen, Alan Hawse.
In Newberry’s third email this week, titled “Values to Guide Future Debates”, the mayor called an editorial by Hawse, published in the Herald-Leader, “patently untrue” and “egregious”. Again, you’re allowed to disagree with someone, but you are never, never, never ever, never and not once allowed to say that someone should “stay out of the debate”. I usually shy away from saying really mean things about public officials – but this statement, in itself, makes Jim Newberry this biggest ass in the city of Lexington. What’s worse is that Newberry goes on to contradict himself in the later portions of this email and make even more comments aimed at stifling the debate over CentrePointe or any other future development in Lexington.
When you are the democratically-elected executive on any scale, you aren’t allowed to tell a citizen that they can’t participate in the public discourse around a project just because you don’t agree with the person. Jim Newberry doesn’t want there to be discourse around CentrePointe or the future of Lexington, because he knows that his discourse is on the level of a nine year-old who just screams and calls people names when they don’t get their way. But what is Newberry complaining about? The dude got his way. In case he hasn’t walked down Main St. to see it yet, the buildings are already being torn down! What in the world are you upset about Mr. Mayor? can’t take criticism? The mayor says that:
Opposing views should be respected, and personal attacks should be eliminated.
What?! You just demeaned the character of a respected citizen five lines earlier by telling them to butt-out of the debate! What are you talking about, Mayor Newberry?
Whatever the rules may be when a development is proposed, fundamental fairness requires everyone to play by those rules. If those rules are inadequate to serve the community’s interest, we need to change them and apply the new rules to the next project. We cannot change the rules in the middle of a sporting event, nor should we do so when a development proposal is on the table.
He got this one thing right – we do need new rules. We need rules that can prevent prodigal and unreliable developers like the Webbs to partner with a corrupt mayor to overrun the city’s downtown because it can make them some money. We absolutely need new rules. Unfortunately for Newberry, he isn’t going to profit from these new rules.
I’m done with this guy. Well, frankly, I was done with him a while ago. But now I’m ready for his career to be ruined – I’m not even sure how hard we’d have to work to do that. The guy has a pretty good headstart on this, already.
JIM GRAY FOR MAYOR 2010
LHL letter to the editor:
After coming from the circuit court hearing on a request to stay the demolition permit granted to CentrePointe for The Dame block on West Main Street, I’m compelled to make this observation:
The testimony from Vice Mayor Jim Gray was concise, clear, professional and appeared to have absolutely no ax to grind. He was all business, flawless and leveled-headed.
Which brings me also to this point: Where has Mayor Jim Newberry been in all this controversy? He has been absent in leadership, ideas and voice. We might as well have Silent Calvin Coolidge as mayor.
Or is Gray mayor already? He certainly seems to be doing all the work.
Louis Zoellar Bickett II
Lexington
Oh, snap!
And if you want to view the stupidity of the pro-CentrePointe folks’ argument, check out these words of wisdom:
The Dame was a relative newcomer to the area and has added nothing to the streetscape but broken bottles, overflowing trash cans and litter.
How can you argue with such brilliance?
Monday on Kentucky Tonight, Bill Goodman hosted a discussion about CentrePointe including Vice-Mayor Jim Gray, Dudley Webb, and Preserve Lexington’s Hayward Wilkirson. This is a must see, as Jim Gray runs circles around Dudley, and Dudley just couldn’t have come across any worse. View the whole show here.
Yes, once more, Dudley Webb came across as:
arrogant
mean
condescending
And to those who know the facts in this matter, blatantly dishonest.
This is really one of the big mysteries of the CentrePointe debacle: WHY is Dudley Webb the public media representative for this project? This is a million dollar company that should know enough to put a professional in charge of its media and public relations. But instead, they throw an arrogant, smug prick out there to speak to reporters, which continually makes more and more people question the project. He can’t even lie like a good PR guy, who knows how to deal in half-truths. Dudley just tells big lies that any reporter can go back and prove is a 100% lie. And then he wonders why the media has no respect for him?
Is there no one at the Webb Company with enough balls to go up to Dudley and say “hey, you’re the guy in charge here, but for the love of Gawd, get the fuck away from the cameras and reporters. You are killing us”?
It boggles the mind, but for our sake, I hope he continues to be the unsympathetic face of this travesty.
Kentucky Tonight will discuss downtown Lexington development
For Release: 2008-07-02 16:54:00
On the Monday, July 7 edition of Kentucky Tonight at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET1, host Bill Goodman and guests will discuss downtown Lexington development.
Scheduled guests are:
- Lexington Vice Mayor Jim Gray, president and CEO of Gray Construction
- Hayward Wilkirson, president of the board of directors of Preserve Lexington
- Dudley Webb, chairman of the board of directors of The Webb Companies
- Foster Ockerman Jr., a Lexington lawyer
Viewers with questions and comments may participate in the live broadcast by telephone at 1-800-494-7605.
Kentucky Tonight programs are archived online, made available via podcast and rebroadcast on KET1 and KET KY. Archived programs, information about podcasts and broadcast schedules are available at www.ket.org/kytonight.
Kentucky Tonight is a weekly KET production, produced by Deidre Clark. Bill Goodman is host and managing editor.
Much fun and mischief was to be had at Lexington’s 4th of July parade, so here’s my little tardy rundown of the festivities. (in every sense of the word, perhaps) First, I must note that the fun began Thursday night the 3rd, as our own Hollywood elitist liberal, David Schankula snapped the Lexington fashion photo of the year, as Dudley Webb crony Harold Tate was completely rocking out his seersucker pink pinstriped shorts, with matching pink watch, at Thursday night live. You can say what you want about Harold completely ignoring the Downtown Master Plan to pave the way for Dudley’s Vertical Lexington Mall, but the man has friggin’ STYLE. David and I then attended the Council meeting discussing the TIF for CentrePointe (Yes, shockingly, they’ve reversed positions and they now want the TIF. Whooda thunk it???). The first hour literally consisted of the clerk auctioneering the docket for an hour. The fun was interrupted by a slick dressed Smooth (shoe shine dude) coming in and praying for a minute on his knees in the second row, then about 20 Japanese women in kimonos filing in and sitting in the first few rows. Yes indeed. During the endless reading, Dick DeCamp and Councilman Meyers shared a terrorist fist jab. I kid you not. As for the actual discussion of the TIF, not much happened (Fortune’s account was quite accurate). Don Blevins impressed me once again, as he lamented how the Council was flying by the seat of its pants on this debate, without any rules or structure. OK, now for the 4th parade. I headed down Limestone to see the rather non-festive rubble of the Triple Crown Lounge amongst the otherwise festive atmosphere. Again, so nice of the Webbs to do this right in time for the parade. Directly in front of the rubble was an absolutely fitting booth. I kid you not, it was occupied by the “Center Point Church of Christ“. Ugh. I REALLY want to find out who was behind this placement. There is ZERO chance that this is coincidence. Was this a big FU from folks on the Mayor’s staff, or was this a subliminal move by someone on our side? Inquiring minds want to know… Anyway, a nice young man was passing out cards for the church, and Schankula and I started up a conversation, of course asking if his church was affiliated with the CentrePointe project. (It should be noted that this is obviously a good all-American church, as it doesn’t use the smelly cheese French spelling). He said that their congregation actually meets in a movie theater on Sunday mornings. I asked if they ever just watch Passion of the Christ in there instead of doing a sermon. Alas, they never have. Nevertheless, their setup brings up countless jokes for me, but I’ll leave them for you to come up with on your own. I visited my good friend Elle over at the Fayette County Democrats booth, which was absolutely hopping and completely sucked dry of Obama buttons and stickers. A wonderful cutout of Obama was there (complete with lapel pin) that everybody was taking photos with. FCD honcho David O’Neil was a good enough sport to chat with me, even though he’s not fond of me (Horton was not, however). O’Neil did question whether I was a Democrat, which means the CS must still be spreading her stupid false rumor to everyone that is listening (oh, how scandalous!). Elle tipped me off that the Fetus Fetish Folks had a booth down on Vine St., so I had to pay them a little visit. My back and forth with them fit almost perfectly with every other time I’ve questioned these folks. I picked up one of their pamphlets, titled “The Evils of Planned Parenthood”, complete with a scary snake on the cover. The inside told me that their agenda is “pro-sex”. Wonderful. Anyway, here’s my rough transcript of the chat with a soft spoken guy with two non-aborted kids by his side. “Hi, so, do you think that abortion should be illegal?” “Oh, yes I do.” “Well, once it’s made illegal, what type of prison sentence do you think the woman should have? 20 years? 30 years?” (shocked look)” well… I don’t know.” “You don’t know? Have you ever thought about that before?” “Uh… no, I guess I haven’t.” “Never? I mean, if it’s illegal, she’d have to go to jail, right?” “Well, not everybody goes to jail for committing a crime.” “Oh, so it could be kind of like a jaywalking ticket?” “Well… no. I guess I’d put the Dr. in jail, but not the woman.” “Really? But it’s murder, right? I mean, if you hired a hit man to kill someone, you’d get the same murder sentence, right?” “Well, I’m not a lawyer.” “Well, you don’t have to be a lawyer to know that you go to jail for murder, trust me.” “Well, I don’t know… maybe.” “How about capital punishment for women?” He strictly went with the “I don’t knows” at this point. Then, a fiery red headed man came up, asking if I’m causing trouble. I told him this is an information booth, and I’m merely seeking information through this man and your pamphlets. I launched into the same spiel with him, but he was much more direct. Though we went through the same progression of questions and answers, he got riled up and went a little further when I mentioned capital punishment. To say the least. “So what about capital punishment for these women?” “Yeah! Yeah, I think we should kill ‘em all! (red faced and furious at this point)” “Oh, OK. I was just checking to see if you are really “pro-life”. I guess you’re not.” “No, I’m pro intelligent life!” Another wonderful brush with fundamentalism. On my way back to Upper and Main for the Newberry Jeer, I saw Mr. Pink Pinstripe himself, Harold Tate, standing next to downtown Lexington designs, selling individuals on the Downtown Master Plan, which has so skillfully been thrown in the trash by his CentrePointe enabling. Mayor Newberry came early in the parade and received a big boo from a large group of folks amassed in front of what used to be the Dame and Busters. Mission Accomplished. As soon as the boos started raining, his head immediately turned to the other side of the street and stayed there until he was well past us. Somebody said that Newberry had extra police security alongside him, which I didn’t notice, but would be quite hilarious if true. Ever since I posted the Newberry Jeer on the Facebook group, B&P was swamped with hits from the LFUCG building, several searching for “Newberry 4th of July protest”. “Save us from the angry mob, oh noes!!!” Several folks got big cheers, such as KFTC, Peace groups, environmental groups, bike riders, and gay groups. Politicos got big cheers, including Eric Thomason, Ernesto Scorsone, Kathy Stein, and Bruce “Shawty” Lunsford. But the biggest cheer of the day, with no one else even coming close, was for Vice-Mayor Jim Gray, who has stuck his neck out repeatedly for us in fighting the CentrePointe debacle. He seemed to really appreciate the greeting. Newberry wasn’t alone in the jeering. McConnell and McCain had a small contingent of folks carrying signs, and they arguably faced an even more hostile reception. (Cheers and Jeers are always a tradition at this section of the parade, which I’ve staked out for years now). The horrific Friends of Coal float received a similar reception, as Taylor Shelton noted. Ben Chandler’s Republican challenger, Jon Larson, made a pass at Schankula’s mom, kissing her hand for some reason. I heard from 3 different people at the parade that half of the longshot’s campaign funds have already gone up his nose. Again, that’s just what people were telling me. Anyway, a wonderfully festive 4th. I can’t wait until next year, when the floats go past the giant hole in the middle of downtown. Maybe the Webbs’ jumbotron will be up by then… (oh, and Chuck has some priceless photos of the parade rubble at Black Wednesday. and how dare Chuck be in town and not contact me?)
Just got back from another disappointing hearing in the LFUCG chamber.
The Council held a work session dealing with CentrePointe. Dick DeCamp presented a motion saying that if demolition happened on the block before the Planning Commission heard Preserve Lexington’s appeal, the Webbs would be denied any TIF funding for their project.
In response, Councilman Meyers brought a motion to scrap DeCamp’s, instead bring a motion to bring to the docket on Thursday an effort to “encourage” the Webbs to apply for the TIF funding.
Meyers motion passed 8-5, so DeCamp’s did not even come to a vote. Gray, James, DeCamp, Blevins and Blues voted against it. Thursday the Council will discuss “encouraging” the Webbs to apply for the TIF funding. You know, the TIF funding that Darby Turner claimed they didn’t need during the CADRB hearing last Wednesday. Told you.
***********
Some more gruesome details from the meeting:
Gray went over the TIF guidelines, saying that it necessitates public involvement, and developers should make their finances public. He also noted that the market for condos is the absolute worst in his professional career. Good luck with those luxury condos, Dudley.
Webb lawyer Darby Turner was there, and as I expected, he has already reneged on his statement in front of the CADRB that they will go ahead with the project even if they don’t get the TIF. He now claims that if they don’t get the TIF, it will be a totally different project, which won’t provide the public parking and other perks that the original project would provide. At one point, he even had the nerve to suggest that they wouldn’t provide any parking without the TIF, that the city would have to provide that for them. Incredible.
He also sprung on the Council today that their TIF proposal would provide funding for the Old Courthouse. He then had the nerve to say that they’ve been very open with the public and Council on the project. Gray, DeCamp, Gordon and several others were incensed that they were first presented with this that very afternoon, just before the work session.
Council Beard spoke, and proved himself to be a first rate practitioner in douchebaggery. He said that the “people who don’t want anything on the block” are the only ones who show up in the Council chambers, and the “silent majority” is for the project. Ugh. He also basically said that when he heard the CentrePointe proposal for the first time, he had an immediate orgasm.
Councilman McChord, who looks like a Young Republican nightmare, spewed forth all of the false arguments, that opponents are fighting for a parking lot and want the block to stay the same.
Andrea James asked Turner who their contact person is with LFUCG. Turner had the nerve to say that Jim Gray was. Gray broke in to say, uh… NO. Not me, buddy. Turner then backtracked and said it was really the Mayor’s office. So Newberry gets all the Webb info, while the rest of the Council and citizens are left in the dark. That’s how these people operate.
Turner basically couldn’t even give any details on the hypothetical non-TIF project. He’s claiming they could do the alternative project, yet they don’t even have any details for the Council. Incredible.
Henson asked why don’t we all just get along. Asking for compromise. Ugh… were have you been? We’ve been down this road, the Webb’s arent’ budging.
Councilman Don Blevins then spoke, and I must say that this man is Awesome. He noted how this is an 11th hour proposal with a gun to our heads, saying that we either provide the TIF or we get screwed. Noted how strange the behavior of the Webbs has been. He noted, flatly that HE DOES NOT LIKE THE PROJECT. Then, he broke out the best line that I’ve heard in three months. He noted that with the economy the way it is, we’re likely to be left with “A VERTICAL LEXINGTON MALL”.
“A VERTICAL LEXINGTON MALL”
I’m stealing that line, Don. A more apt description could not be given.
Anyway, I’ll have more details on the last firewall against demolition tomorrow. PL has filed suit against the Webbs and and LFUCG to halt any demolition until the Planning Commission rules on their appeal to the CADRB hearing. It will be in Circuit Courtroom E at 8:45 AM. They need a big show of support there, as if this fails, you can probably kiss the block godbye, and very soon.
Sometimes, you get the feeling that the world is a just place, that rational thoughts and ideas can defeat ignorance, that united effort for the common good can overcome the greed and power of the few.
Other times, reality punches you in the face.
For the past 4 months, many in Lexington had that former feeling, as we witnessed the greatest grassroots political movement that I’ve seen in Lexington in my adult lifetime.
At 7:30 Wednesday night in the LFUCG chamber, they finally got the fist to the gut.
Here’s a run down of all the gory details from yesterdays hearing in which the Webbs received permission to bulldoze our entire block to make way for the Cock and Balls Tower.
****************
1:30- a line going all the way out of the door of the LFUCG building. The hearing starts at 2:00. The chamber is already full. By 2:00, there over 100 people squeezed into the overflow room downstairs.
I went upstairs and managed to bluff my way into the media section on the right.
“What organization are you with?”
“The Weekly Standard”
He eyed my Kentucky for Obama trucker hat, then let me in.
On the left side of the room in the first 4 rows sat a team of old, white, bald, white haired men in dark suits. Hired assassins of Lexington’s downtown culture. The rest of the room, and downstairs, was filled with opponents to CentrePointe.
The proceeding started off with the most callous tactic of the entire 5 hour hearing. The Webbs lawyer, Turner, stated that they will build the CentrePointe project whether they get the TIF funding or not. If the city decides to give it to them, great, if not, they’ll still build it.
This is, of course, a transparent lie. Knowing that the TIF funding was their biggest obstacle and it would play a factor in the board’s decision to tear these buildings down, the Webbs chose to deceive the board. Once the buildings are down, I can GUARANTEE you that the Webbs will be asking for the TIF. Count on it. If you believe this rouse, you probably also believe that Barack Obama is a muslim sleeper agent and Dick Cheney steered radio controlled model planes into the Trade Center.
The Webbs brought out their high-priced Atlanta consulting firm to show photos of pigeon droppings in the attic of absentee slumlord Joe Rosenburg’s buildings on the bock. They claimed that they did not conduct an asbestos search, which is quite convenient considering that demolishing these buildings could swarm the city with that shit.
Then they brought out some guy named Culpepper from another Atlanta firm to pimp how wonderful their CentrePointe project was. This guy looked like he was born and raised on a used car lot. A mix between Chuck Todd, Don Jacobs and The Heavy Hitter.
He bragged on the firm that designed CentrePointe, saying another one of their hotels was used as a backdrop for the Today Show in Miami (oh stars!!! is Lauer coming to Lex Vegas?!?). Then he piled up the bullshit, saying that in CP’s shops, he could see “college students and suburbanites sipping coffee”. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. He also said that these college folks and hipsters could take heart in the fact that some of the bricks from Busters would be used on CentrePointe!!! Yay!!! I take back everything I said, we’ll have some of Busters’ bricks on the block!
Then it was our turn.
Vice-Mayor, and general bad-ass, Jim Gray went first. This speech was so good, I’d have trouble fully describing it in words.
He started with some wonderful thoughts on what dissent is, saying that dissent is necessary for progress.
He mentioned how every great city is now managing to restore its old buildings and incorporate it into their new development. Then…. he broke out the quote. Yes, the quote at the top of this blog.
“Maybe Mark Twain was right when he said ‘I want to be in Kentucky when the end of the world comes, because it’s always 20 years behind’.”
You had me at Twain, Gray. You had me at Twain.
He claimed that there’s a big difference between infill and overfill, then openly laughed at the TIF statement that Dudley’s lawyers made at the beginning. Yes, you have to be reeeeeally stupid to buy that crap.
Dick DeCamp, departing 3rd District Councilman then spoke, noting that we are in bad financial times, implying that the Webbs could get halfway through their construction and decide that it wasn’t economically feasible to continue, leaving us a big pile of nothing there.
Councilman Blues then spoke, noting that 132 years ago today was Custer’s last stand. He ignored all warnings and advice and charged right ahead. If we do the same thing with CentrePointe, rushing this through, we might live to regret it. Good stuff.
Hayward Wilkirson then spoke. Hayward has emerged as the leader of the most impressive grassroots movement I’ve seen in Lexington in my lifetime. There’s not a bit of exaggeration there when I say that. He hammered home the rational points once more, as Dudley Webb sat close by and smirked.
After a few speakers on our side, Jessica Case spoke and gave the best speech of the hearing. She aired the ugly truth about the block. This truth being that Joe Rosenburg is an absentee slum lord on that block and intentionally left those buildings in disrepair to drive down their value and ensure that they would be scrapped for CentrePointe to take it’s place. Dudley Webb looked like he was punched in the stomach during her testimony… I suppose he’s not used to the truth about his scheme being aired publicly.
I found out later that after the recess, Joe Rosenburg came up to Jessica Case and told her the he was going to sue her for defamation of character. What a scumbag.
Preserve Lexington’s lawyer then closed, stating the fact the other Marriotts around the country are incorporating old buildings into their new hotels, or building right next to them. The Webbs argument that this can’t be done is just 100% false. Not that the truth mattered, anyway.
After a 10 minute recess, the public was given an opportunity to speak.
The first handful of speakers were against demolition, and giving some great points. The very well tanned Dudley Webb was pouting, his chin buried deep in his jowl. Right in the middle of this, Woodford Webb’s Harold Tate’s cell phone went off in the back of the room. What a tool.
Then, the hired suits started coming up to the podium, and the bullshit did flow. Some young smarmy suit got up there and said that the people opposing this project were “a small group of special interests”. He also said that he “was kind of a history buff”, and he didn’t think that the buildings were historic. Right.
At this time I noticed a young person on the good side of a room with a great sarcastic sign up- “OLD STUFF SUCKS”. I know, doesn’t it? Especially those old bald fat white fucks on the left side of the room in the first 4 rows.
Then came the circus. Larry Chiles, of the big $ advertising firm Jordan-Chiles, stepped to the mic and started screaming into it. He said that the entire block was an eyesore, then noted how these “nightclubs” didn’t mean anything to Lexington. He noted the trip that city officials took to Austin, Texas recently and said their whole music scene is poppycock that Lexington doesn’t need. The money quote:
“Lexington is the horse capital of the world, not the weird capital of the world”
Really, he said that.
Then he followed up with another mind-numbing statement, noting a certain presidential candidate’s message of “Change”, and how CentrePointe represented that same thing.
Really.
The words “crusty old douche bag” jump to the front of my mind, for some reason.
After someone who must have been on acid stepped to the mic, a black man in dreads took the mic and recited a poem he wrote. After concluding, he said that if this block is taken away, artists will have nowhere to go and Lexington is likely to lose people like himself.
The Webbs all smiled at the thought.
Then a smarmy young white UK law student in a suit stepped to the mic, claiming that he’s a “frequent patron” of the establishments that were there. Never seen him. He also said that no one goes to the Dame for ambiance. Right.
Anyway, he said that UK students need to find jobs after graduation, and that CentrePointe would help with this.
Unless there’s a new academic program at UK in housekeeping, I really find that statement hard to believe.
Another person came up and thanked Webb for being a selfless, altruistic angel, stating that he would take this opportunity to thank him in person.
Projectile vomiting all around the room.
After Dave, Bill Johnston, and the always impressive Janie-Rice Brother gave some great testimony, there was a 20 minute recess before the closing arguments and the ruling.
One board member thanked the Webb side for “educating him on the TIF issue” before his judgement. Yes, apparently the Webbs have been “educating” him on their facts well before this hearing in private.
That just warms your heart, doesn’t it?
Anyway, after all five stating how hard their decision was, they voted 5-0 in favor of demolition.
It was a fight of ordinary citizens with no money pouring all of their free time and energy into saving their city from a boondoggle disaster… vs. against a bunch of millionaires with a team of high-priced lawyers. In that kind of fight, we all know who wins 99% of the time.
But we came close. We came very close. And I doubt that there is a single person involved in this amazing political movement that regrets spending their time and energy on this cause.
More than anyone, we must salute Hayward Wilkirson and Eric Thomason. I cannot sufficiently put into words how impressed I am by the grassroots movement that they started on their own and spread throughout the city. It was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen in my life.
And I know that if the 3rd District of Lexington wants someone who will fight for them over the next several years, they will elect Eric Thomason as their Councilman.
So the fight is over. The rich, white, bald men in suits win again. And now, the Cock and Balls Tower, with its escalators, fancy chandeliers, antiseptic piano bar, top floor suite for the Horse Sheik, and 40 empty luxury condos will grace Lexington for years, until its vacant bowels resemble the horror that is Festival Market.
I’d love to end this on a happy note, but… no, I can’t.
UPDATE: hold the phone, Preserve Lexington says this thing isn’t quite over yet.
From today’s paper:
Vice mayor criticizes developers
GRAY SPEAKS ABOUT CENTREPOINTE AT ‘BLOCK AID’ FUND-RAISER
By Beverly Fortune / Lexington Herald-LeaderVice mayor Jim Gray said developers of the proposed CentrePointe project are asking the city to contribute millions of dollars in tax benefits, but have shut out the community in having any say in its size or design.
“We’re asking for some measure of daylight in this process, some level of being included in what amounts to a $70 million tax benefit over 30 years for this development,” Gray told supporters of Preserve Lexington at a fund-raiser Friday night.
The $250 million CentrePointe hotel/condominium project is proposed for a downtown block that contains 14 structures, many of which are historic. Until recently, most of the buildings were occupied by restaurants, music venues and bars.
Developer Dudley Webb said the project must have local and state tax increment financing to be feasible.
I can’t wait ’til they bulldoze that block so we can stop all this whinging about downtown and how much we “care” about it.
Rubble! Let them have rubble.
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