Spoke with Chief of Regional Development Chris Warren at City of Cleveland and second phase of Steelyard construction is tied into Tax Incremental Financing approval at the City of Cleveland, which gives some leverage w/First Interstate Steelyard regarding ALDI commitment to Brooklyn Centre. Please forward the petition and make noise. Federal monies and set asides (like TIF financing) should support residents. Second issue on this petition relates to Community Development Block Grant funds. City of Cleveland has great regional opportunity to build tourism experience by enhancing historical interpretative potential of existing Wirth House and family attraction of Art House and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This should be a win-win.

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-aldi-move-to-steelyard-and-stop-pus...

Here is the contact info for Kevin McClure at ALDI:

http://aldi.us/us/html/company/company_real_estate_opportunities_ohio_EN...

It is probably best to contact Mitch Schneider at First Interstate (Steelyard):
 

http://www.first-interstate.com/employees.shtml

I was told yesterday 12/3 that Tracy Nichols at the City of Cleveland would provide breakdown of how existing TIF monies have been spent as divied up among the CDCs-official countdown on when that information will actually be made available commenced 12/3.  Tax Incremental Financing is basically a set-aside program that allows a developer (like First Interstate) to put money that would have gone to pay taxes into construction and development.  City prearranged a settlement that would, after alloted time, give lump sum of "fun money" to CDCs to spend (folks are free to provide a better definition) ... Jerleen wrote about the TIF monies at Tremont West here:

http://realneo.us/content/twdc-receives-114880-steelyard-commons-tif-fun...

I have updated the petition at Change.org - please see how the City of Cleveland allows Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) financing to bleed neighborhoods:

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-aldi-move-to-steelyard-and-stop-pus...

No guarantees....

Please see Jerleen's post for an understanding of TIF financing as it pertains to this Steelyard TIF:
http://realneo.us/content/twdc-receives-114880-steelyard-commons-tif-fun...
 

SEE Also:

The key to the deal was the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) Ordinance granted under ORC 5709.41-43 and passed by City Council under the whip of Sabra Scott Pierce, which granted a 100% property tax exemption for the Property Improvements at issue. The TIF was in turn key to the financing of revenue bonds issued by the Port Authority. The City first had to forge an agreement with the School District , which stood to miss out on a lot of tax revenue from this TIF deal. The City's agreement with CMSD said it was anticipated that the TIF Ordinance would grant the city Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) from the Developer equivalent to the amount of taxes that the city would have received had the exemption not been granted. Is that how it turned out? Then CMSD was to receive about 32% of the PILOTs. ............ The land apparently was deeded first to the Port Authority, then transferred to Veterans Development in December 2010. The land is currently valued at $1 million, and no tax value has yet been assigned to the improvements, and the county's web site for real property info is corrupted for this combined parcel (surprise!). .............. The CMSD deal was negotiated by Dan Burns, who was not a lawyer and is currently serving prison time for a purchasing scam. The CMSD Board of Educaton also was led to believe that there would be a side deal with the developer and/or the VA for internships to be supplied by them for students. Where is that agreement? Where are the internships? ............... Another key to this whole thing would have been the valuations of the improvements by the office of Auditor Frank Russo, who had his crooked pals at VAS enterprises doing that job. Well, the valuation gig collapsed and Frank is no longer in office, so the other shoe has yet to drop on the whole TIF deal, with valuations being the key.
Meanwhile, why has the PD not dissected the TIF deal? Could be fun.

Posted by Nasby on Sabra Pierce Scott pleads guilty to bribery charge in Cuyahoga County corruption case (updated) on October 20, 2011, 12:04PM

OR how CDCs are NOT helping you -  tell your local council person enough is enough:

http://theciviccommons.com/conversations/should-cleveland-help-fund-hous...
 

Wouldn't it be nice if this was in place...before above TIF monies spent...??? (SEE above posts)

From Councilman Cummins-before Thanksgiving:
I spoke with Kevin McClure, Director of Real Estate who is with the Corporate Regional office for ALDI's in Hinkley Ohio.  Kevin confirmed that Aldi's is in fact under contract to open a store in Steelyard Commons, likely by the end of next year.  The future operations of the store at 3787 Pearl Road in Brooklyn Centre has not been determined as relative to the development in Steelyard Commons.
The Regional VP, Cory Stucker and his Assistant, Terry Ann are both out of the office for the Thanksgiving holiday.  I'll plan on speaking with them next Monday and can work to hand this off and/or schedule a meeting with them, Councilman Cimperman, and or who ever would like to be involved in further discussions.  I've discussed with Kevin the fact that we could help with sales and purchasing power info in validating the rational for maintaing the store location on Pearl.
Additionally I have a call into Steve Pickett at First Interstate with a request to get the names of the new stores they currently have under contract so we have a more complete view of the future retailers that will be located in Steelyard Commons.

***PLEASE note there will be a meeting at St. Barbara's to discuss environmental contamination at WC Reed field:

http://realneo.us/events/wc-reed-park-brooklyn-centre-closed-environment...

There is no way in hell that Sabra Scott Pierce hatched the TIF scheme to assist Forlani - by herself.  This has Sweeney all over it and consequently Mayor Jackson, too -  is it really possible for them to get protection out of her light sentence?  Or, is her light sentence in exchange for cooperation? 

http://www.cleveland.com/countyincrisis/index.ssf/2013/03/ex-cleveland_councilwoman_sabr.html

In any case, yesterday's Cuyahoga County corruption is today's Cuyahoga County corruption - and we are all stuck on this sick and never-ending hellride.

 Tips posted in response to the Plain Dealer ad for new Aldis - poached from Brooklyn Centre neighborhood:
http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/11/aldi_opens_its_125th_ohio_groc.html

Investors in Steelyard Commons, the Cleveland shopping center project, are receiving tax subsidies worth $12.48 million over seven years. These federal tax credits were funneled through a private, for-profit corporation controlled by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, a public entity whose board is appointed by the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. The Port Authority was instrumental in the company’s success in winning the credits and received significant revenue for its part in the transaction that used them. Yet these subsidies were granted by a publicly controlled entity in virtual secrecy, with little or no opportunity for public scrutiny or debate. This September 2005 report raises probing questions about this project. The full details of the Port Authority’s involvement with the tax credits and the Steelyard Commons project should be made public, the report concludes, and future credits should require public approval by the Port Authority board.  - See more at:

http://www.policymattersohio.org/steelyard-secrets.#sthash.3uw0ijc7.dpuf

Mitchell Schneider did a "walk away" from his debt at River Street Square in Elyria, but seems to be getting as much help as he wants from the city of Cleveland....



There are two sets of rules. One set for us peasants and another set for the feudal lords.