When the development plan was first presented to the planning commission it was under the pretense that the developer at the time who owned the property, Justin Johnson, would develop it as presented. After that, JJ sold the property to Tre who got private investors. When the SF City Council approved the open ended, interest free loan of $500K for demolition, Tre, once again, seemed to lie about the development plan. The shcity council approved the expense to taxpayers and now Tre are saying there is no plan, because they have no money. May I suggest a SF Heroes garden for the space?! Just like the Arc of Dreams, it would be a game changer for 18th and Minnesota.
Like the Dems in Congress, I ask the CC, what the Hell are you doing?!
It’s no secret that MMM started a program of setting up DTSF public security cameras, which I support, sometimes. This public camera system sitting on light poles and other infrastructure downtown has helped to solve many crimes downtown, piecing together video evidence and tracking the suspects. BRAVO! A great use of technology. Where it gets creepy is when the PD use it to intimidate, harrass, or squelch free speech. Let’s just say that the SFPD are using the camera system on DTSF cell towers to target and chase violators, several blocks after the violation occurred. There is much more I could say, but I best button up for now. I just want every tourist, transient, local or whatever breed you are, if you are DTSF and participating in ANY kind of illegal activity on our public property, you are likely being recorded and watched.
UPDATE: Me wonders if the mayor bailed on this to remove his name from the project if it comes to fruition after he leaves office? Why is that important? Because there are rumors he may have conflicts with some people brokering the deal. If the Development Foundation and Chamber are able to sucker voters into this, since Paul will be out of office he can only hope the conflict flies under the radar. I know that is a stretch, because most insiders at city hall tell me he ‘just gave up’ after the extra penny tax got voted down, but I still know how this guy operates. He has made lots of $$$ being mayor, and I ain’t talking about his salary.
“I made a commitment to myself and to the community when I took office that I will not hand the next administration a half-baked anything that’s gonna put them in turd alley … I had an initiative that was left to me as a challenge, and I don’t want to do that to another mayor,” TenHaken said.
Well, Paul, we have been eating your turd sandwiches for 7 years, and to be honest with you, it ain’t working with my Keto.
Read the article, there is so much defeatism you kinda feel bad for the angry bird running our city. Poops was never going to get a convention center across the finish line because he hasn’t put anything across the finish line, nothing. He got handed an admin building with bad plumbing, and instead of making the contractor pay, he rolled over like a dog, same thing with the Midco, contractor screwed up, we paid. Bunker ramp, could have pulled out of the deal with a small fine, but rolled with it anyway and blamed Huether (reminds you of the guy in DC right now, all my bad decisions are the last guy’s fault.) Just admit it already Paul, you weren’t cut out to be mayor. No one will fault you for that, you just are not cut from a cloth that would understand. You ran a successful web design business overcharging your clients for websites that were produced using software (that anyone can buy) to design. I had someone tell me they charged him $5,000 for a simple website he could have created on his own for $199 in web development software. Paul, you are a fraud, and no surprise you are bailing on this. You bail on everything. Why not buy back your company and do what you are good at, screwing peeps over for overpriced websites a 7 year old could create.
But I have to admit, I was happy he dropped this idea, like he did with public art, mentorship, Lenin’s tomb at the zoo, covid, transparency, equal rights, 1st Amendment rights, and the list goes on. The only thing this guy has finished is a Mountain Dew. And that is all we need to know.
UPDATE: So I got to see the handywork tonight. As you can see, the water is flowing over the lowhead, like intended, but it seems to be flowing thru it also. This dam isn’t even a year old and it already has water squirting thru it. It is pretty obvious they didn’t drill down several feet to pour the dam, they just poured it on top of the rocks (in some spots). What?! Did the city hire Lowe’s handyman to do the job? “Yeah, I can save you a few bucks on crete and blasting, so this is what I am thinking . . . “
So I saw this yesterday down by the new drainage wall at the Steel District. It looks ‘temporary’ but I am wondering what the heck this is for? Any engineering weirdos able to explain this?
Coming this summer in Downtown Sioux Falls? It’s looking that way. With two homeless individuals being beaten to death within a year, ironically in the same location (next to the Dud) and the steady migration from other communities we will have a banner year. This morning I was at Sunshine at 7 AM and there was 12 men between the ages of 25-50 and it was pretty obvious what they were up to, drinking their breakfast. And as the weather has gotten warmer over the past week I have noticed the groups are becoming more frequent. This is what happens folks when you have city leadership (Directors, SFPD, Council and Mayor) bury their heads in the sand, and now we are building fences, I guess so people don’t beat each other’s heads in on the Dud property. God Help Us!
l3wis 
