Grand Rapids gets over their hissy fit with developer

The Grand Rapids Press 03/29/12 Matt Vand Bunte

“Grand Rapids inks Parkland deals: School sale switcheroo still irks, but officials pleased to get space”

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/03/grand_rapids_inks_parkland_dea.html

A messy process that left Grand Rapids leaders feeling betrayed over a developer’s switcheroo also has produced an outcome that, if not justifies the means, at least benefits three city neighborhoods, elected officials said.

After discussion that included barbs at the Grand Rapids Board of Education and a frustrated rebuke of the deputy city manager, Grand Rapids City Commission voted 5-1 Tuesday to amend a Brownfield deal for redevelopment of the former Oakdale School as a National Heritage Academies charter school instead of the apartments previously proposed.

“I think all of us felt betrayed (when the land was sold to NHA),” Second Ward Commissioner Rosalynn Bliss said. But she and her colleagues, except Mayor George Heartwell, voted to approve the documents that will deed three small pieces of parkland to the city.

Looking to generate revenue to pay off old debt, GRPS agreed to sell four former schools to Ojibway Development. The developer, Bruce Michael, proposed low-income apartments at the sites. But after buying three of the schools, Ojibway re-sold the properties to National Heritage Academies.

Heartwell, who lashed out at Ojibway after the developer sold the land to NHA, said the process involved “a breach of trust” with the "flaky" developer that he would not support, even if neighborhoods would benefit from the deeded parkland.

“The way this transaction occurred was simply not right,” Heartwell said. “A ‘yes’ vote, to me, feels like rewarding (bad) behavior.”

Heartwell chastised Eric DeLong, deputy city manager, for adding the escrow agreement to the agenda with little notice, though others lauded DeLong's work.

Common Sense Review

I am so amazed at the arrogance of the Grand Rapids City officials. They make a deal to sell property and when the new owner doesn’t do what they want, they throw a public hissy fit.

The City of Grand Rapids is in debt $12 million, and they have room to complain when they need to sell city assets.