2017

A lot of puzzle pieces in the Copper Lounge investigation. How do they fit together?

l3wis December 28, 2017 5Comments

I wish I had the answer to that question(s).

The latest from the Argus had me thinking;

One of the companies – CLP Investments – sold all of its assets on Nov. 30, 2016, just two days before the Copper Lounge collapsed, killing a Hultgren Construction employee. CLP owned the Copper Lounge, and its members voted to unanimously liquidate the company, according to the affidavit signed by Norm Drake.

So why is this important? I can’t tell you why, but isn’t a bit strange that CLP was sold only a few days before the collapse?

So here are the puzzle pieces that come from that revelation;

Where does the Command Center fit into the picture? They provided temp laborers towards the project. They were also fined by OSHA. How many of those workers were involved with dismantling the load bearing wall?

Where does Lewis and Sanford fit into this picture? Remember Lewis was going to move into this building alone before the collapse, than suddenly after the collapse, Sanford has agreed to put in a clinic. Of course they have more room now due to tearing down Eastwold Smoke Shop.

Why was Eastwold torn down after the collapse? According to the owner of the building, Tim Kant, he felt that part was structurally sound. The city disagreed and sent notice of demolition. Why?

Was Legacy always going to be awarded the Village project from the beginning? Was the RFQ modeled after their plans to begin with? Why?

Does Legacy plan to be investors of the hotel or are they just a middle man that is going to sell the concept to a national hotel chain? Maybe this is the reason the city doesn’t care who the guarantors are?

The mayor has admitted they turned over videos to Federal investigators and other documents BEFORE the initial approval, why not tell councilors before the vote? They are now claiming they knew nothing about the DENR violations of at the city landfill? This is part of the statement from the city;

After they were alerted to the illegal dumping by the DENR, landfill employees identified the area where it was deposited, and the area is being monitored, Best wrote. Hultgren later sent the city a letter indicating that debris containing “asbestos suspect materials” was deposited in the landfill, but that letter didn’t reference DENR’s notice of violation.

So why wouldn’t landfill employees tell management that DENR was digging around? Why wouldn’t DENR tell them they were digging around? Why wouldn’t this go up the chain of command, and if it did, why wasn’t the mayor’s office told? I find it hard to believe the city landfill, it’s employees and site management would keep this to themselves, what would be the purpose unless to cover it up? But why cover it up?

As you can see there is many moving parts with little answers how they fit together.

Good thing we gave Washington Square a TIF . . .

l3wis December 28, 2017 2Comments

. . . otherwise these poor millionaires might not have a place to sleep at night;

Grant Houwman, a development partner of the multimillion-dollar, eight-story building, said he wouldn’t discuss the specifics of individual sales, but he confirmed the $1.2 million sale was a condo.

This takes ‘cleaning up blight’ and ‘affordable housing’ to a whole new level. Literally. Oh, and what about the irony and hypocrisy of one of the benefactors of that TIF;

Joe P. Kirby Trust, $1.03 million (prominent old Sioux Falls family in business and politics)

The same Joe Kirby who has been telling the city council to stop working so hard and start rubberstamping more, you know, the same rubber stampers who gave Washington Square it’s TIF. Glad we could help him out with a property tax rebate for his digs while he is away from soaking in the rays in California. He needs a nice place to stay, close to city hall and Carnegie so when he is in town he can set them straight when it comes to governing and handouts to him and his ilk.

Puke.