So the rumors turned out to be right: former Mayor John Leone is abstaining from the vote, leaving the choice of who the developer should be to the other six members of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp.
Dick Kallenbach kicks things off by moving that the city hire D'Amato Realty as the preferred developer. Gardner Wright seconds the request.
But the choice of D'Amato falls short in a 4-2 vote, with everyone else lining up against D'Amato.
Jennifer Janelle, the sole woman on the panel, said she'd like more time and more choices.
Then Tom Cosgrove moves to hire Renaissance as the developer of the city-owned, 17-acre former downtown mall site.
But, yes, you guessed it, that doesn't pass either.
Voting yes were Cosgrove, Frank Johnson and John Lodovico.
Janelle joined Wright and Kallenbach in opposition.
They are, as I write, taking a break.
Maybe they're going to flip a coin?
I'll tell you more when I hear something. I'm not there so I can only relay what I hear.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
8 comments:
These guys are a joke!! Clearly the NY firm has the experience for this job
Ms. Janelle, you sound like Obama and Afghanistan. There is no more time and no more choices! Be a leader and make a decision!! Then stand behind your decision and help make it work!!
sounds like nobody wants to be associated with the choice in the history books if this project goes south. Kinda like the whole redevelopement of the 60's
The never-ending legacy of Bill Stortz lives on.
What a farce; the people of this town deserve better. This do-nothing group should have been abolished.
8:10
This committee was picked by the Council, one member per councilman.
Or would you have preferred the Couture railroad method that went south?
WITH COUTURE WE HAD A PLAN AND WE HAD STATE FUNDING TO PAY FOR IT-BY NOW WE WOULD HAVE A NEW THEATER, AND A NEW BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB- TWO PROJECTS THAT LIK THE MALL WILL COST THE TAXPAYERS 3 TIMES THE COST WHEN THEY ARE FINALLY FINISHED IN ABOUT 20 YEARS-WE NEED PEOPLE WHO WILL MAKE A DECISSION-A WISE MAN SAID THE ONLY BAD DECISSION IS NO DECISSION- AFTER SPENDING $300,000 ON A BOARD THAT IS UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO REACH A DECISSION, LET'S GIVE THE PEOPLE OF BRISTOL SOMETHING CONCRETE TO RENEW THERE HOPE IN THIS CITY'S ABILITY TO RECOVER FROM THIS DISMEL ECONOMY.IF THIS BOARD IS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THIS SITUATION ON MONDAY I WOULD LOBBY TO DISBAND THEM COME APRIL WHEN THERE FUNDING RUNS OUT.
9:04
But did the people want it?
The Bddc was an approved approach to resolving the downtown issue.
The state supported it and it was approved by the council.
As with all things it government, people are involved and politics can get in the way. And they did.
But it certainly was more democratic than a one man(or two if you count Kosta) band running the show.
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