Memory Lane
This morning, the Register-Star reported that Harbalwant Singh has declared bankruptcy, putting an end to the hope of having an 80-room Comfort Suites hotel in Columbia County as well as all the other fun amenities promised for the now almost totally demolished former V & O Press building on Route 66. At times like these, it can be useful to recall how it all began.
To that end, here's the link to the Register-Star article from April 2011 announcing that the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency, in what the newspaper called "a historic move," had approved a 20-year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes, or, in other words, a tax abatement) for the ambitious project: "G'port project PILOT OK'd." It makes interesting reading in light of all that has happened since.
Another article of relevance from the Register-Star archive is this one, from October 2009, which celebrates another economic development scheme in which Singh figured largely: the alcohol emporium that opened on Green Street, in what was once Schroeder Chevrolet: "Schroeder's may soon be home to beverage center." That project also turned out to be ill-fated. Although the beer store lives on, in June 2014, the New York State Liquor Authority revoked the license of the liquor store, Fine Wines & Spirits, because it was determined that a fraudulent application for the license had been submitted, by Harbalwant Singh. At the SLA hearing, which took place on June 3, Dennis Rosen, chair of the SLA Board of Commissioners, commented, "We'll be looking at Mr. Singh's activities a little closer."
Singh was embraced by some city and county officials in the name of economic development. This photograph from the Evelyn and Robert Monthie Slide Collection at the Columbia County Historical Society shows what appears to be an economic development initiative from about a hundred years ago.
One wonders if this approach was any more successful than what is done now.
COPYRIGHT 2014 CAROLE OSTERINK
Mr. Flood is a master of understatement:
ReplyDelete"The county and the city work together in many ways that people don’t always see,”
Just change the name from "Industrial" to Economic Development and right back to business as usual.
County IDA and slick Rick's HDC swapping deeds to give sweetheart deals to millionaires while evicting citizens from the old fishermen's home on Hudson's shore.
Recall, in the wake of recent un-maned PILOTs that have crashed and burned -- Local Ocean, now Greeport Crossings -- that Harney & Sons, spending $925,000 for a building in Hudson, did not request any tax relief. In the words of the director of County economic development "they had gone about the purchase independently of his department." (Reg, 6/20/14)
ReplyDeleteRecall, that the city had to ask OGS for a grant of land formerly under water on the north side of Dock St that the sewage treatment plant was above. Yet Mr. Flood and tricky Rick just "swapped" deeds on the south side of Dock to make the River loft deal go through.
ReplyDeleteI ask again Mr. Flood, you said that "we now own (North Dock Wharf) it," just who is "we" and does that not include inner city Navigators with rod and gun?
UPDATE: Ken Flood responded with a correction: the Greenport Crossings PILOT was only for the hotel, which was never completed, hence, not eligible for tax abatement (PILOT) to go into effect. In addition, CEDC is suing Mr. Singh for most of the $150,000 loan granted for the failed project, and $35,000 loan granted for a hotel feasibility study.
ReplyDeleteShrimp Box, Tricky Rick's Foster's refrigerator, Schroeder's Chevrolet, Local Ocean, Riverlof, million here million there, after a while, it adds up to one of two things, piss poor business sense or yet another violation of the public's trust.
ReplyDelete