The Mayor’s plan to give Cordish up to $1.8 million to build a sports bar at the former Lucky Strike bowling alley at Fourth Street Live, it turns out, is legal. Which doesn’t make it right.
It doesn’t matter that the Jefferson County attorney confirmed that the Mayor has the power to do so. Or that the Metro Council is attempting to pass an ordinance that would prevent him from giving away such sums in the guise of “forgiveable loans” in the future.
The question we should be asking is why the Mayor, struggling with budget issues in every department, would risk so much political capital on such an unpopular project with a company that has such a horrible track record for finishing what it starts.
Does city money really need to go toward another sports bar? There’s a great one right around the corner at the Marriott. And, Jerry, no one is buying the idea that the money will be paid back in five years, if it happens to buck the trend and stay in business five years. That’s about as likely as the city seeing a dime of its so-called profit-sharing agreement with Cordish.
CityBlock co-owner Ward Plauche would like to have some of the downtown re-development money. He’s sent requests to the city, but knows that chances are slim that he’ll even get a meeting. He’s competing for the same dwindling number of dollars being spent on nightlife, but his biggest competitor is getting incredible financial support from city government. It’s not a level playing field.
Abramson’s zeal to direct monies toward Cordish isn’t criminal or illegal. No one saying he can’t do it. It’s just that he shouldn’t.
17 responses so far ↓
1 Bob // Mar 25, 2009 at 9:57 am
Exactly right–Abramson’s gift to Cordish was wrong. We can hope that Metro Council some day will install some checks and balances on this Mayor. He clearly won’t do what is right when left to himself with an opportunity to feather his own political nest.
2 Milford // Mar 25, 2009 at 10:34 am
Wrong!, Wrong!, Wrong!…..Cordish’s rich uncle Jerry just keeps giving them more allowance money. Those guys at City Block are getting Politically Screwed……how much mire can the local operators take?
The thing to do by all citizens is to protest this type thing by Boycoting 4th Street Live. The Local Business operators should enlist the help of any supporting groups that they can and stage a “NO VISIT” Boycot of the Cordish opperations at 4th Street for the unfair deals that are raping the locals operators that Pay Taxes and get no LOVE or MONEY from the CITY.
I suggest that anyone inclined to support such an effort contact the VilleVoice, and ask Rick Redding to host a demonstration of such !
3 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 25, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Mayor Jer’s sweetheart deals with Cordish are becoming pretty outrageous and out of public control. Meanwhile, locally owned bars and nightclubs are getting the shaft. Could this be the basis for running this mayor out of office next year? It seems like it’s the scandal that keeps on giving, because the mayor keeps on feeding it.
4 lt // Mar 25, 2009 at 12:29 pm
What about the states idea…In your own backyard! My mother always said charity starts at home. Buy local!
5 LocalViewer // Mar 25, 2009 at 1:50 pm
I think the mayor is trying to self destruct. His actions are so unbelievable, it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting him to lead Louisville in the future. Local bar owners should be outraged…Cordish is a Maryland based company. it’s sad to see local businesses get the shaft, and I bet some digging will find a big reason why Mayor Jerry has to back Cordish…
6 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 25, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Would it be plausible to request the Attorney General of Kentucky to investigate potential financial ties between the mayor and Cordish?
7 Henry Watterson // Mar 25, 2009 at 3:28 pm
“Would it be plausible to request the Attorney General of Kentucky to investigate potential financial ties between the mayor and Cordish?”
That’s your assignment, citizen journalists. If there’s a story here, it’s now your job to find it. With the C-J a mere shadow of its former greatness, the torch has been passed to you, o’ brave army of journalistic hobbyists. Put down your rakes, your fishing rods, your model trains — journalism is your new weekend activity. Band together, blog brothers, and uncover the filthy truth behind this Abramson-Cordish conspiracy. If you work in shifts, you should have something concrete by the summer of 2010. I await the results of your investigation!
8 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 25, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Henry, if you’re a professional journalist, your patronizing position is very understandable, even if facetious and unnecessary. In other words, grow up.
It doesn’t take a “citizen journalist” to file a request with the government.
9 Jinx // Mar 25, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Just because an attorney says something is legal doesn’t mean he is right. The powers that be need to get a second opinion.
10 Bruce Maples // Mar 25, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Three possibilities, it seems to me, in re the Mayor and Cordish:
1) He gets something tangible from them as a kickback (i.e., money, stock, campaign contributions).
2) He gets something intangible from them (prestige, chance to influence other cities, chance to be seen as a player).
3) He honestly thinks they are the best company to do this work: experience, track record, connections.
Frankly, as much as some jump right to (1), I don’t think that’s it. I could be wrong, but I’ve never seen Mayor Jer as related to the late lamented governor of Illinois.
My bet is on (3) with a possibly good smattering of (2). Jerry’s been head of the national mayor’s organization more than once, and apparently has concluded that mayor is the highest level of government service he wants. So, by golly, he’s going to be the biggest, most famous mayor there is.
I don’t blame him, really, for a little of (3), as long as it’s not causing actual harm to the city. If he gets props around the country for something, if it helped the city I don’t care. My problem with the ongoing Cordish economic stimulus package is that it’s helping someone in Boston at the expense of people in Louisville.
So, citizen journalists, don’t go looking for sudden large deposits in either Jerry’s checking account or his reelection campaign. HERE’s the story that I would do if I had time:
Take the money given to Cordish and see how far you could spread it around local merchants, and what difference it would make. Could a LOCAL chef and restaurant have taken that loan and made a hot, successful restaurant in the Starks Building? Could a LOCAL firm have taken the money and redone the Lucky Strike facility into another entertainment venue that would be both striking and successful?
I bet you’ll find that that same money, spent locally, would have produced more results and more long-time success. And THAT’s the problem I have with the whole Cordish deal.
11 Crutnacker // Mar 25, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Can I offer one more suggestion? Maybe its a combination of Jerry’s ego and stupidity? I don’t think Mayor Jer has much faith in the ability of the city to do things on his own.
While Fourth Street Live is certainly better than the Galleria, the problem is that it ties into nothing else within the city. Imagine if the city had put something like Fourth Street Live down near the waterfront, or on Main Street where it could have been both tourist stop and a place for locals to visit after events at the waterfront or the new arena.
Fourth Street Live really offers nothing to locals. The bars and restaurants are overpriced, and it has none of the local flavor that places like Harborplace in Baltimore or Faneuil Hall in Boston have, making it just another faceless chain stop for business people with expense accounts.
Mayor Jer seems to be lacking in vision. It’s time he goes.
12 Andrew Masterson // Mar 25, 2009 at 11:16 pm
it’s amazing, we can’t find $60,000 to put new guard rails on the harrods creek bridge and re-open it now, but we can find $1.8 million to give to a company to remodel a, what, 5 year bar/bowling alley?
13 Ed Springston // Mar 26, 2009 at 3:15 am
Steve great idea on asking for an nvestigation but do not hold your breath. The AG’s office does not investigate everything they get. I have requested investigations into manythings and always get the same answer essentially leading me to believe that nothing will be done.
You may recall when the Council “asked” for an investigation into the Louisville Slugger Field money going to the DDC. I had asked for that investigation prior to them and still never got it done. Yet anyway.
Bottom line is the AG is not obligated and as much as some do not want to believe it the AG’s office is also very political as well.
It will be interesting to see just how much “investigating” Conway will do in advance of his future election efforts for another office.
Do you take a chance and bring down the local Democratic power in Abramson prior to an election? Smart money says no and therein lies the problem.
14 lt // Mar 26, 2009 at 10:03 am
I’m sorry, but I do not understand how this works…The local government,Jerry, says we have a major budget problem and TELLS the community he is giving Cordish all this money. Look at City Block, struggling, re-inventing itself once again without ANY help from Jerry. Just like every other local restaurant or bar owner in this town, they are all struggling. I would throw a fit if I was a local business owner. Divide this much money and help many, many local businesses. Instead of a company here to profit off tourism and out-of-towners like themselves.
15 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Mar 26, 2009 at 10:49 am
Another idea: Maybe we should teach Mayor Jer a big lesson here.
Boycott “Jerry’s Bar”!
16 Greg // Mar 26, 2009 at 2:05 pm
It, here’s how it works:
Step 1 – Get elected as Mayor and push a government re-org through the state legislature that gives you disproportionate power beneath its murky language.
Step 2 – For reasons unknown, select an out-of-state company to revitalize the local downtown. Negotiate with them unilaterally on everything, and when legally necessary, leverage the negotiated proposals through the weakened legislative body. Be sure to manage your local media well, so that all opposition is scared to death of you or marginalized as “fringe.”
Step 3 – Ignore any initial results of the business that stumbles out of the block. Disregard any feasibility studies that say the population won’t support it. Push forward for more development and call it “planting seeds for our city’s future.”
Step 4 – As much as possible, squeeze any business that may compete with your pet project. It doesn’t matter that this competition may actually be helping you bring people into the district. They must be stopped in the name of “planting seeds for our city’s future.”
Step 5 – Offer as many TIFs, sweeteners, forgiveable loans and “soft cost grants” as possible, and hide behind an independent attorney’s opinion as justification.
Step 6 – Whatever you do, KILL any legislation that will cause you to operate with more transparency.
Step 7 – When the FBI interviews you, be very careful what you say.
17 Henry Watterson // Mar 26, 2009 at 4:49 pm
“Henry, if you’re a professional journalist, your patronizing position is very understandable, even if facetious and unnecessary. In other words, grow up.”
Point taken. Henceforth, I will limit my criticism to Mayor Abramson, the Courier-Journal, Cordish and Robert Felner.
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