My Shock XVIII

K-Zoo Leaving the "IHL"

My Comparison

With opening day approaching, there is one thing that is really, really, really, really bothering me. The fact that the development on the condos have not even started and we have not gotten an update in a long while.

Aside from the fact that the ballpark kicks a huge amount of ass and not in the same league as Memorial Stadium. I now cringe every time the tag line "It is not just a baseball stadium," is used.

I think it is time to get on Barry Real Estate and put their feet to the fire.

Let us take a look at two projects that have received practically the same cherry deals that are currently "In the works" for downtown.

First Up: THE HARRISON













Contains: 1 floor of retail, 30 (currently) condos
Sizes Range from 986 sqft - 1752 sqft
Prices Range from 150k - 420k
Amenities - Ballpark/city views, parking garage, Top floor viewing deck (might be taken out)
Minimum spending - $14.5M


Next Up: Superior Row / Restaurant Row












Contains: 1 floor retail, 21 apartments/condos
Sizes: 1400 sqft
Price: Eventually will sell for 185k
Amenities: None really known, loft design, close to headwaters
Spending: $4M

Bottom line: 9 more condos, 10 million more dollars. The only true difference is the parking spots. While Barry Real Estate is looking for ways to cut costs and amenities, they should be looking for ways to sell condos. How about adding amenities? Change up the design, add a pool, add a concierge or door man, or here's a mind blower - lower the prices to something more comparable to Fort Wayne home prices.

If Barry Real Estate comes to the table with an idea to bring 60-80 condos to the development at a price of 180k a piece, but the only problem was that they were only going to spend 10-12M on the project, do you think they would get turned down?

Fort Wayne needs to go see where this 14.5M construction cost figure is coming from. It doesn't make sense, considering that the company got the land for free and the 14.5M does not really reflect total cost to them. $14.5M purely reflects the total amount of investment in downtown. Barry will be recouping a large amount of these costs, if the high priced condos sell and are collecting rent every month from the retail. Also, if the unit purchasers decide to buy the bare bones condos and turn it into a DIY project, does that lower the total construction costs?

Here's an idea, lets just turn the land over to Heartland Development and let them take a crack at it.

My Loopholes

I was just sent this pic.


















Man do I have a lot of questions -
How can these just spring up? I know of several of these popping up in FW. Can anyone just open up a "Casino" with the provision that you strap a Not for Profit onto it? So why all the ring jumping for the other casino efforts? What about all the businesses with the cherry masters - from my understanding VFW and legions were in 501(c) standings, so why could they not operate these? Who is overseeing the profit intakes, to insure that the proper percentage is being sent to the not for profit? What is the permit process of creating one of these places? Who has to stamp the approval?

I would love to see the property ownership changes in the last couple of months - Our Place, BJ's Place, Little P's, now Early Bird's/3R Casino - I am missing a few, I'm sure, please help me out with the names. Something tells me that this wasn't all Kosher.


LINK
But hey its got Valet parking... valet parking to a giant parking lot in front of it.

Really FW? Really.
Its time to start expecting more and better.




To do list for this weekend:
Start CFW Literacy Foundation
Buy Renaissance Square
Start Casino

My Hospital

So, Parkview has stepped up to the plate and have hit a grand slam in the advertising department.

Alright, enough of the puns.

But seriously - if anyone talks to Kalb, please tell him I found his Medical Alert bracelet.























Everyone is up in arms about a hospital buying the naming rights to our new baseball stadium. Are there better ways that 300k a year can be spent? Sure, but who are you to tell them how they can spend their money? I understand that they are a not for profit business, but my limited understanding of how 501(c) orgs work - is that the surplus has to used for the future of the programs and services.

JQ - they are not in the home building business or the public transportation business, why would or how could they stray outside their charter?

Also, JQ, I'm confused. You seem to be for small government, but demand to be taken care of. You seem to be suggesting something that sounds like Obama's manditory volunteering or his windfall tax.

Oh and when you say, "What the sad thing is we will all go to the vote the next time all these clowns run and vote for them again because they have a damn “D” or “R” next to their name. Maybe we deserve this crap because we end up endorsing it…." Good luck voting Parkview's board out of their positions in the next general elections.

Enders - Hospitals advertise because there is competition. People want to keep their jobs, so they try to get patients to select their hospitals. In a city smaller than 250k, people can now select Parkview, Lutheran, Dupont, or in some cases - St. Joesph. I realize that we pull from a larger region than just the city, but those are options, and people are likely to go to where they think of first.

Well, at least people are not in denial anymore and finally admitting that this project is actually happening.

Personally, I'd rather Parkview sink their advertising dollars into a community fixture and invest into a true asset of our city, than the alternative - Large billboards.

My Smoke and Mirrors

Smoking Ban hasn't Hurt

My Montagano

Indiana Upset in the Wind?

My Travel Agent

Blogger/Journalist/Opinion Writer/City Councilman/and now Travel Agent Mitch Harper has apparently started to sell airline tickets to London on FWOB...and for $636, it's quite a steal...although the advertised price doesn't include any taxes or fees. Tea time?