Was The East Market Street Development Corporation Designed To Fail? Part 2

Yesterday I wrote Was The East Market Street Development Corporation Designed To Fail? Today I want to continue looking deeper into the First Community Planning Team Report  as prepared by the American Planning Association on October 26, 1995 and try to figure out why, 20 years later, we are worse off than we were.

On July 23, 2013 I asked the question, "Did Greensboro Kill The Livable Communities Act?"

"In 2009 Senator Christopher Dodd introduced the Livable Communities Act. As part of the effort to push the bill through the United States Senate, BRUCE KNIGHT, Planning Director for the City of CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS and PRESIDENT, AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION spoke on behalf of the Livable Communities Act before the U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES on September 23, 2010.

Mr Knight cited the lack of "shovel ready" projects as being a major challenge to cities everywhere. He spoke of the importance of regional cooperation. He spoke of creating jobs, eliminating waste and promoting greater government efficiency while also allowing people to craft a vision for new development and growth based on local values. Mr Knight spoke of opportunities to build a more sustainable, livable future.

Mr Knight cited Greensboro, North Carolina, the very first project undertaken by the APA, the East Market Street Development Corporation, as an example of the success of the efforts of the American Planning Association.

The Livable Communities Act failed to pass the United States Senate. Did Greensboro reflect so poorly on the United States Senate that Washington found it impossible to believe Bruce Knight and the experts at the American Planning Association?"

But as we all know Greensboro was not "an example of the success of the efforts of the American Planning Association."

But did the APA know it wasn't a success? From the City of Greensboro website:

As you can see from the screen grab, if the City of Greensboro was feeding the American Planning Association the same bunch of bullshit they were feeding the citizens of Greensboro it's no wonder the APA and Senator Dodd were tricked into thinking the East Market Street Development Corporation had been a raving success.

You see, most of that money that was spent was state tax dollars that were spent on the campus of NC A&T State University and had not one damned thing to do with the revitalization of East Market Street and East Greensboro. Most of those projects remain unfinished because the Greensboro City Council never finished funding them. And has anyone drove past the 13 acre red mud empty lot where the post office used to sit? To the disdain of the Greensboro City Council it was reported at the Council Business Meeting I attended in February 2015:

"East Market Street Development Corporation seems fixated on developing the 13 acres where the post office used to stand on East Market St but as Councilwoman Yvonne Johnson pointed out and this writer has long known, the owners of the property, the United House of Prayer for All, have no intentions of selling the property-- ever.

You see, while Councilwoman Johnson didn't express it, the church bought that property with the long term goal of building a bigger church there someday. And apparently they ain't hurting for money. Personally I think it's a waste of property that could be put to better uses but the church owns it and the church will damn sure do with it what they please and who am I to say different?"

That's right, for years the City of Greensboro has been knowingly promising development the City cannot deliver and giving the EMSDC the impossible task of making it happen so that there is someone they can point a finger at.

So who was on the Greensboro City Council 20 years ago? Yvonne Johnson was. Have you ever heard her telling you what I'm telling you? I haven't. As a matter of fact, no one on the Greensboro City Council has ever talked about it at all.

Now let's go back to the original First Community Planning Team Report that was prepared by the American Planning Association on October 26, 1995 and see what else we can glean from there, shall we?

Here's how the APA Community Planning Team described what they saw when they first came to East Market Street:

A "dead mall." And 20 years later, while having a few trees and being slightly shinier East Market Street is deader than it was then-- wh

The City identified goals:

But as is too often the case in Greensboro the Mayors and Greensboro City Council never took the shots:

You see, by allowing the likes of Roy Carroll, Marty Kotis, Milton Kern, Robbie Perkins, John Lomax and the rest of Greensboro's elitist, status quo developers and realtors to set the agenda for local economic development our City Council establishes an agenda that pits one economic development agency against all the rest. And the East Market Street Development Corporation-- the economic development agency responsible for 68% of the population of the City of Greensboro but the agency least funded for the last 20 years, has never had a fighting chance.

Like I said, we never had a fighting chance:

Yes, the report mentioned some possible sources of funding but those other economic development agencies got there first. As a matter of fact: they had them all along.



And from the book, Once Upon A City written by Howard E Covington Jr, published by the Greensboro Historical Museum, Inc-- one of Greensboro's other money loosing non profit, city tax dollar funded museums.

This was attributed by the author, Howard Covington Jr. to former Greensboro Mayor Jim "Bobblehead" Melvin who is now, along with Mayor Nancy "Grasshopper" Vaughan  and the rest of the Greensboro City Council, advocating spending in excess of $20 Million dollars in Greensboro tax dollars plus over $200 Million in state tax dollars to build the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite in Randolph County to bring jobs to Randolph County while we here in East Greensboro in Guilford County remain the highest unemployeed in the state.

Amazingly, Jim "Bobblehead" Melvin is advocating doing the very same thing he points his crooked little finger at others for doing over 60 years ago.




Finally, so you'll understand how our Greensboro City Council and Greensboro's elites still think to this day I had to throw in this snippet also taken from Once Upon A City-- the offical history of Greensboro. Enjoy and remember: to this day they still try to kill the messenger when he brings bad news:

And folks, if you want to see Greensboro's main stream media start covering the issues I write about you're going to have to make our media do so. Why not, instead of sharing and liking my blog posts on Facebook, why don't all of you start e-mailing all my blog posts to Brian at brian@triad-city-beat.com so that he can forward them to Eric Ginsburg and get that lame ass, shit for brains reporter to actually do some journalism for a change.

Believe me, if enough of you start doing so our media will change their evil ways.

Was The East Market Street Development Corporation Designed To Fail?

Back in February, after having set through a City Council business meeting in which the East Market Street Development Corporation-- the City funded organization designed and designated to be responsible for economic development in East Greensboro-- came back to the trough asking for more money I wrote East Market Street Pipe Dreams, a very critical piece in which I chastised EMSDC for having failed in the effort.

Counting this article I've written 16 articles on EMSDC to date and 15 have been critical.

But maybe EMSDC isn't the problem. Maybe EMSDC and other such groups like EMSDC were designed by our elected leaders to fail?

Sounds crazy? Perhaps. But when you look at the History of Bessemer (the East Greensboro Community in which I live) and the text of the original First Community Planning Team Report that was prepared by the American Planning Association on October 26, 1995 and hosted today on the APA website it doesn't seem quite so far fetched.

What happened to that industrial development the report recommended? Oh yeah, it got put in industrial parks out on the county line and our current Mayor and City Council are all promoting the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite on the Randolph County line.

Oh, in case somebody thinks they can make the report go away, I posted another copy online. A good Tyrannicide always carries a back-up in case the first one jams.

But wait, it gets better! Or worse, depending on how you look at it.

What's that, the City is at fault? From How Bessemer Was Born And The Site We've Chosen:

"As you can plainly see, Greensboro's greatest families, the Cones, Richardsons, Dillards and Benjamins, for which streets, parks, buildings and hospitals are named, all did their part to destroy the Bessemer Community.
And as evidenced in Bessemer Improvement Company vs the City of Greensboro, even the City took advantage of those who were working on behalf of Bessemer then passed the blame off on the state."

The evidence is in the many links, screen grabs and documents presented.... more documentation than ever given you by any media outlet in this city bar none. If you discount what I write or call me a liar without reading the documents I've provided then you're only to blame for your ignorance.

Back to the First Community Planning Team Report of 1995:

Wait a minute? Attractive neighborhood? Groomed? I know what you're thinking but poor people live here. The houses are old, we can't afford to hire "lawn boys" like they do in Irving Park when we're working as your lawn boys, maids, mechanics, nannies, cooks, labors and garbage men. We do the best we can, we kept things cleaned up and repaired our old homes the best we could on our minimum wage jobs working under the table because you Irving Park bastards like Nancy Barakat Vaughan were too cheap to pay our employer portion of our Social Security.

And in the course of the last 20 years houses like my own have gone down in property value despite mine and my Daddy's best efforts to keep it up.

What that doesn't tell you. That $500 outbuilding is 2 story, insulated, 12x16 384 sq ft with electricity easily converted into a small apartment. The house has real hardwood floors a new 96% efficient gas furnace, new central air, vinyl siding and is fully insulated with combined utility bills of less that $150 per month. The yard has a privacy fence, raised bed gardens, 100 year old oak trees and paved walk ways.

And it's only worth $42,000? Across town the exact same home would be valued at $142,000.

Let's go back to that report, shall we?

So what happened? Why did East Greensboro only get worse over the course of the last 20 years?

Could it be because EMSDC has to compete with Downtown, Megasites and industrial parks on the county lines to get employers and the jobs they bring to come to East Greensboro? Have we forgotten that 68% of the population of the City of Greensboro lives in East Greensboro?

Could it be because of the way EMSDC is funded, forced to return to the trough every year to beg for money just to stay in business? In the past I've been highly critical of EMSDC and their forays into real estate investment, buying and selling properties and renting apartments as competing with the private sector and outside of the scope of what an economic development agency is supposed to do but when your focus becomes keeping your own job and not laying off staff every year there's very damned little you can do to lift up the community you're tasked with improving.

If you know Mack Sims, forward him this post and tell him I take back everything bad I ever said and wrote about him and EMSDC. I now know he never had a chance. The proof is in, we've had 60 plus years of deliberate destruction of East Greensboro at the hands of Greensboro's elites.

And let's not forget this 2013 piece, City Of Greensboro Fails To Provide Evidence Streetscaping Provides Positive Economic Impacts:

"Hello Mr. Jones.

We apologize that your request has taken so long to complete.  We have requested several departments to review your request to see if they had any information pertaining to your request.  Unfortunately, the City has not measured the economic impact directly attributable to the East Market Street streetscape project.

 Sincerely,

 Public Information Desk

City of Greensboro"

That my friends, is why the following statement can now be found on the City of Greensboro's Public Information Website at the bottom right corner of the page.

So what's their latest scam?

 "The rumors are that the city is attempting to get Smith and Ray Warren homes sold to UNC-G and A&T Universities and converted into much more curb appealing student housing.  Both of those properties are within close eye view of two major roads leading into the Council's precious downtown projects.  Those folks would be relocated to the Hicone Road location to the tune of about 220 units.  In this location there is no library, no recreation center, no bus service and only one grocery store.  The schools in this area have already been taxed and the Reedy Fork development is only 700 houses into a 3500 house project.  We haven't even mentioned the beating that home values have already taken in Reedy Fork due to the school system's perceived lack of success in dealing with discipline problems at Northeast High School."

That's right, the same thing all over again, push the poor people on down the road while destroying the working class neighborhoods just like they did in 1958. (Link to City of Greensboro.)

"From the turn of the century to the late 1950s, the East Market Street Corridor flourished. It was the shopping and social center for many of Greensboro's African Americans, who owned businesses on the street and provided services to those shut out by segregation practices in other Greensboro neighborhoods.

This lively community began to wind down in the late 1950s and 1960s when, under the guise of "urban renewal," thousands of people and more than 80 businesses (many minority-owned) were displaced. Most of those businesses never reestablished."

We need all new leadership on the Greensboro City Council. They days of City Council members who are willing to settle for what we can get must be brought to an end. Their "compromises" are no longer acceptable. When our "leaders" rob from East Greensboro they are robbing from the entire city. The poverty and crime they breed in the east is a cancer that will spread across the entire city, taxing city services and forcing those in the west to pay more in property taxes to make up for the lost property taxes in the east.


Share this post with everyone you know, go to the polls on October 5th and vote the incumbents out. Continue reading Was The East Market Street Development Corporation Designed To Fail? Part 2.

East Market Street Pipe Dreams

I sat through the City Council business meeting yesterday. Councilman Mike Barber wasn't in attendance and Councilwoman Nancy Hoffmann appeared to sleep through most of the meeting.

George Hartzman explained how city employees could add thousands to their retirement funds without increasing taxes by cutting out middle men and buying their retirement plans directly from the same folks the middle men buy the accounts from but it really appeared as if Tony Wilkins and Zack Matheny were the only ones on Council who really understood what Mr Hartzman was talking about. Councilman Wilkins expressed much concern (some will say I'm being overly nice) about the fact that no one was brought in from the City's current plan administrator to answer questions. Seems they've now wasted 4 meetings without calling in anyone from the other side.

In walking out with Mr Hartzman at the end of the meeting I could tell my friend was pretty bummed that Council and Staff had not yet taken the time to understand these things but later in the day George had let it roll off his back and was ready to fight again. I wish I could recover so quickly.

The folks from East Market Street Development Corporation gave their presentation. As Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter-- who wasn't sleeping-- pointed out: EMSDC had simply redone their previous presentations from the last 3 years and were asking for more money for the things they had yet to make any progress on what-so-ever.

Usually these presentations include the organizations recent successes but EMSDC presented no examples of their recent successes. As a matter of fact: EMSDC presented no examples of any successes at all-- ever. They talked about how bad East Market Street looks but showed pictures from other cities.

EMSDC seems to want to act as a master developer and home owners association all rolled into one talking about things like making the facades along East Market all look alike and wanting City money to do so. In my mind I kept picturing a 3 mile long strip mall where everything looks the same and the expression "can of worms" came to mind. I can't speak for all of east Greensboro but personally, the last thing I want is 3 miles of sameness.

East Market Street Development Corporation seems fixated on developing the 13 acres where the post office used to stand on East Market St but as Councilwoman Yvonne Johnson pointed out and this writer has long known, the owners of the property, the United House of Prayer for All, have no intentions of selling the property-- ever.

You see, while Councilwoman Johnson didn't express it, the church bought that property with the long term goal of building a bigger church there someday. And apparently they ain't hurting for money. Personally I think it's a waste of property that could be put to better uses but the church owns it and the church will damn sure do with it what they please and who am I to say different?

But EMSDC wants money from the City of Greensboro to develop property that can't be sold. Go figure, right? My guess is EMSDC simply wants money just to continue to exist.

Of course, probably the dumbest thing I heard came from Councilman Zack Matheny who suggested that the City set up East Market Street Development Corporation as a taxing authority and establish a Business Improvement District as was done with Downtown Greensboro Incorporated thereby imposing an extra tax on all the property owners. This includes the poor residential property owners Mr Matheny apparently doesn't know exist in Greensboro-- especially within the areas controlled by EMSDC.

This was especially ironic as EMSDC expressed a desire to begin doing business under an assumed name and take control of all of east Greensboro. That's right: Zack Matheny suggested taxing Greensboro's poorest residents at a higher rate than we tax the rich.

You see, they talk about development, retail, jobs, tax revenue... but no one actually has any idea how to do anything and no one knows enough to get out of the way. And when someone like George Hartzman stands before them and explains how to actually do something...  

Ever wonder why old trains had cow catchers on them despite the fact that the trains could be seen and heard from miles away and rarely ran faster than 30 miles per hour? Now you know.

EMSDC: 20 Years And Counting

It was 20 years ago that the City of Greensboro and the American Planning Association founded the non profit East Market Street Development Corporation. The goal of the EMSDC was said to be the economic development of the East Market Street Corridor and according the the EMSDC and City of Greensboro website over $150 Million Dollars has been invested there. What they never made clear was that roughly $145 Million Dollars of that money was spent on the NC A&T University Campus by the State of North Carolina. And in that figure is included the cost of A&T's football stadium on the corner of Lindsey and Sullivan Street on the opposite side of campus from Market Street.

What was also never quite clear was exactly what the EMSDC was supposed to do. Well part of the original mission of the East Market Street Development Corporation can be found in this City of Greensboro document, First Community Team Planning Report published in 1995.

What difference did it make? How many of their goals were accomplished? How was the money spent? We don't know and no one has ever bothered to tell us. Perhaps being this thing started almost 20 years ago we could get someone from the City of Greensboro to give us a progress report.

City Of Greensboro Fails To Provide Evidence Streetscaping Provides Positive Economic Impacts

Being the City is about to spend $Millions upon $Millions of taxpayer dollars to streetscape Lee Street and High Point Road, I asked the City of Greensboro to provide evidence of The Positive Economic Impacts Of Streetscaping Greensboro from previous streetscaping projects such as the $150 Million East Market Street redevelopment project. The City's reply:

"Hello Mr. Jones.

We apologize that your request has taken so long to complete.  We have requested several departments to review your request to see if they had any information pertaining to your request.  Unfortunately, the City has not measured the economic impact directly attributable to the East Market Street streetscape project.

 Sincerely,

 Public Information Desk

City of Greensboro"

Click here to read the entire story. And remember that Robbie Perkins,  Yvonne Johnson, Dianne Bellamy-Small and Zack Matheny all helped waste your money then just as they're planning to waste it now.

The Positive Economic Impacts Of Streetscaping Greensboro

Allow me to begin by stating I am not a trained journalist. A trained journalist would patiently wait until he or she got all the facts before running with a story. But it wasn't for lack of trying that I don't have all the facts. I ask the questions. The people in charge simply won't give me the answers. So unlike a trained journalist I write my stories based on what I've got.

As you may be aware, Greensboro voters approved a $7.5 Million Dollar bond project in 2008 to provide streetscaping improvements to the Lee Street-High Point Rd corridor-- the stated goal to provide improved economic development to the area. That same year the City of Greensboro completed a streetscaping project on East Market St with the same goal of improved economic development to that area.

In 2009, Senator Christopher Dodd introduced the Livable Communities Act. As part of the effort to push the bill through the United States Senate, Bruce Knight, Planning Director for the City of Champaign, Illinois, and president of the American Planning Association, spoke on behalf of the Livable Communities Act before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee On Financial Services on September 23, 2010.

Mr Knight cited the lack of "shovel ready" projects as being a major challenge to cities everywhere. He spoke of the importance of regional cooperation. He spoke of creating jobs, eliminating waste and promoting greater government efficiency while also allowing people to craft a vision for new development and growth based on local values. Mr Knight spoke of opportunities to build a more sustainable, livable future.

Mr Knight cited Greensboro, North Carolina, the streetscaping of East Market St, the very first project undertaken by the APA, the East Market Street Development Corporation, as an example of the success of the efforts of the American Planning Association.

The Livable Communities Act failed to pass Congress. Did Greensboro and the streetscaping of East Market St reflect so poorly on the United States government that Washington found it impossible to believe Bruce Knight and the experts at the American Planning Association?

I contacted the APA in July of this year. I asked them if they ever revisited their projects to determine the long term results of their efforts? I offered to show them around the East Market Street corridor in a way East Market Street Development Corporation Director Mac Sims would never do if they were so inclined to revisit Greensboro. Like I said, that was July. It's the end of September, the APA never replied to my e-mail.

On September 4, 2013 I sent the following public information request to the City of Greensboro:

"The City of Greensboro completed a streetscaping project on East Market St in 2008. It was said such a project would improve the economy of East Greensboro and East Market Street in particular. Please provide to myself and my publisher, Rick Baker, whose e-mail address is above, any and all data indicating what positive economic benefit East Greensboro, East Market Street and Greensboro as a whole has received from the East Market St streetscaping project to date.

I'm sure more questions will follow.

Please keep Mr Baker informed.

Thank you -Billy Jones
Greensboro Free Press"

As you may or may not be aware, Mr Baker has since decided not to launch a Greensboro Free Press. So I'm back to the blog.

It was my assumption that with a new streetscaping project in the works the City would already be chomping at the bit to brag about the economic development successes of having streetscaped East Market Street 5 years ago. I was absolutely certain I would soon find myself overloaded with more facts and figures than I could wade through in the next 6 months. I just knew the City of Greensboro was going to bury me in positive economic benefits brought about by the streetscaping of East Market St over the course of the last 5 years. I just knew they were planning some kind of PR campaign in anticipation of spending $7.5 Million of your tax dollars and would already have this information ready to go. What did they send me?

To date:  Well, I'm still waiting to hear back from the City of Greensboro but according to the IFYI (Items For Your Information) published by Greensboro City Manager, Denise Turner Roth on September 20th, 2013,

"Staff is determining if this information exists and is available."

You mean to tell me the City of Greensboro is prepared to spend $Millions upon $Millions of Dollars of your tax dollars on streetscaping a new project when they've no idea if the last time they did it worked or not? Look here, I'm all about science and experiments and stuff but wasn't somebody supposed to be keeping some records?

The City of Greensboro website claims there has been "more than $150 million in new private and public investment." along the East Market Street corridor but nowhere on their website do they list positive economic benefits. Not one thin dime. Investment is when you buy something. Positive economic benefits are when that investment pays off. Where's the pay off on that $150 million in public and private investment?

Wait a minute! Did I read that right? I had to go back to the City of Greensboro website and take a second look. That's what it said, $150 million was spent on East Market St. The streetscaping project on East Market was 1.5 miles long. One and 1/2 miles. The planned streetscaping project on Lee and High Point Road is what eight, ten miles maybe? Yes, I realize some of that $150 Million went to other things but that's the subject of another story. One hell of another story!

Yes, the voters approved the $7.5 Million Dollar bond package for Lee Street and High Point Road. I think the voters got duped.

Who was on City Council in 2008 and is still seated today? Robbie Perkins,  Yvonne Johnson, Nancy Vaughan, T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, Jim Kee and Zack Matheny. That's who. And they're all running for reelection.

Click below to download and read the IFYI.

http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=21702http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=21702


 Update:  Friday, September 27, 2013  Today, I got the following reply from the City of Greensboro confirming everything I have previously written:

"Hello Mr. Jones,

 We apologize that your request has taken so long to complete.  We have requested several departments to review your request to see if they had any information pertaining to your request.  Unfortunately, the City has not measured the economic impact directly attributable to the East Market Street streetscape project.

 Sincerely,

 Public Information Desk

City of Greensboro"

Like everything else I've written, I can provide this e-mail at anyone's request.

East Market Street Development Corporation Properties

Click on the link to see what the City Of Greensboro says are properties purchased by the East Market Street Development Corporation.

Of course, what that list isn't telling you is what Mac Sims has done with the profits from the properties he has sold and/or rented.

East Market Street Development Corporation: Selling Out Those It Serves

From the EMSDC website:

"EMSDC is assisting in the completion of a Master Design Plan project with the goal of creating a mixed use, 13-acre property. This site will potentially serve University students and employees, neighborhood residents, and downtown gentry."

That's right, EMSDC is pushing for gentrification and pushing the poor people out with no place to go.

And Mac Sims, before you go trying to hide your web pages again... we've saved all your web pages for you. All of them.

And in case you're wondering about that copyright. As a government funded non profit, EMSDC, like governments, has no legal claims to copyrights. The only way EMSDC can enforce a copyright is to pay back all government funding. And we all know that ain't never going to happen, don't we Mr "It ain't what you know, it's what you can prove," Sims.

Did Greensboro Kill The Livable Communities Act?

In 2009 Senator Christopher Dodd introduced the Livable Communities Act. As part of the effort to push the bill through the United States Senate, BRUCE KNIGHT, Planning Director for the City of CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS and PRESIDENT, AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION spoke on behalf of the Livable Communities Act before the U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES on September 23, 2010.

Mr Knight cited the lack of "shovel ready" projects as being a major challenge to cities everywhere. He spoke of the importance of regional cooperation. He spoke of creating jobs, eliminating waste and promoting greater government efficiency while also allowing people to craft a vision for new development and growth based on local values. Mr Knight spoke of opportunities to build a more sustainable, livable future.

Mr Knight cited Greensboro, North Carolina, the very first project undertaken by the APA, the East Market Street Development Corporation, as an example of the success of the efforts of the American Planning Association.

The Livable Communities Act failed to pass the United States Senate. Did Greensboro reflect so poorly on the United States Senate that Washington found it impossible to believe Bruce Knight and the experts at the American Planning Association?

Of course, Mac Sims of the East Market Street Development Corporation would never tell you that.

It's time To Close The East Market Street Development Corporation

The East Market Street Development Corporation was authorized by the City Of Greensboro to "aquire property for the purpose of removing blight, and dispose of property to builders for either new construction or rehabilitation in accordance with plans developed for the neighborhood..." The result of EMSDC's efforts and $Millions of taxpayer dollars spent: A perfectly good multi-million dollar mixed use property destroyed and more blight in its place:


View Larger Map

Prior to 2008, with no idea of what they might do with the property, the East Market Street Development Corporation bought and destroyed a perfectly usable 45 year old, brick, United States Post Office building on East Market street that could have housed dozens of small businesses or have become a much needed business incubator for East Greensboro. Now, in 2013 the property is even more of an eyesore than it was before and EMSDC has no prospects to date. The property included a fully operational, multi-bay automotive and truck garage, oodles of paved parking, multi-story office structure, dozens of recently modernized loading docks and more, all impeccably maintained with Federal Tax Dollars.

Mac Sims thought he could score big, roll the property over fast, turn a huge profit and justify himself a big bonus. But he forgot as close as this property is to Downtown it remains in East Greensboro and the big money isn't ready to invest in East Greensboro. Sims should have known this as that is the very reason for the existence of EMSDC in the first place but when greed takes control reality runs and hides awaiting its revenge.

And Mac Sims came out smelling like a rose... until reality came back looking for revenge.

Mac Sims is fond of saying, "It ain't what you know, it's what you can prove." Folks, the proof is in the picture above, it's time Mac Sims found private sector work.

Previously I pointed out how high ranking employees of EMSDC have criminal records and how EMSDC has been buying properties all over GReensboro and yet the Greensboro City Council does nothing-- why? Could it be that council members are also a part of the scams?

That's right, Hell Day continues.... And those of you in those other "non profits..." It's just a matter of time before someone starts talking to me about what you did as well.

Jim Key: Anything To Score Political Points Even If it Means Getting The City Sued.

It was bad enough that Jim Kee leaked the Save-A-Lot grocery store deal on Phillips Avenue to the media, pissed off the Save-A-Lot franchise owner on Cone Blvd and caused Save-A-Lot corporate to back out of the grocery store deal extending the life of the food desert in my Northeast Greensboro neighborhood but now we learn that Jim, along with the East Market Street Development Corporation and the Redevelopment Commission of Greensboro, has defrauded Family Dollar by disguising the sale of city owned property as privately owned property in violation of the covenant signed with Family Dollar.

Remember these Jim:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/1i3xvVIoERvFcsZjreCKZBf0me8PJWP3BMrq-nbv-mbUYBpnVZvH3X2fZURxQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1TTeY5A2jel7rRxdVrKQK4hAoQwlxD89vN9YITOhbuYeg1CJSSZ7jbSiCbG6R/edit?usp=sharing

And especially this one as the Redevelopment Commission of Greensboro is an affiliate of the City of Greensboro and Dollar General probably qualifies as a Wal-Mart concept in the spirit of the contract. https://docs.google.com/file/d/1A4R8QnNOm2Jb_Cz2H5y9EUkHfTI6qYOgeg9osy_PzBa0d0J8PX4at9tH4YIc/edit?usp=sharing

You see, in case you're unclear, this is the Phillips Avenue Dollar General Store project being disguised as China King at the registrar of deeds in an attempt to get around the covenant with Family Dollar. Just so you know, the Chinese restaurant is in an existing building next door to the property chosen for the Dollar General which lies in a flood plain and has not been used in at least 50 years. I know as I used to play there as a child and still live around the corner today.

And oh yes, Family Dollar, Dollar General and their respective franchise owners as well as media outlets in the cities where they are headquartered have been informed. Your resignation, Mr Kee? Today!

Yes, Councilman Matheny, the City is a lousy landlord because all of you are a bunch of lying, thieving crooks!

Coming up soon: How tax dollars are used to pay for out of town vacations for supporters of Robbie Perkins and east Greensboro politicians. Don't worry folks, it's autoposted.

Update: I can see how ownership of the property by  Glandon Forest Equity, llc might be seen as an out by Key and others but involvement by the Redevelopment Commission of Greensboro crosses the lines of the covenant between public and private investment and puts the city at risk. 

Update 2: But my previous update was wrong as the timeline proves:

 City approves Dollar General Jan 15, 2013 http://www.digtriad.com/news/article/263731/57/City-Approves-Dollar-General-On-Phillips-Ave Might have been Jan 14th.

Glandon Forest Equity, Llc buys property from the  REDEVELOPMENT COMM OF GREENSBORO  on May 15, 2013 http://taxweb.co.guilford.nc.us/CamaPublicAccess/PropertySummary.aspx?REID=0020462&pageIndex=0

East Market Street Development Corporation: Gabrielle Nicole Foriest

Hell came early... I couldn't wait any longer for Monday to come...

Gabrielle Nicole Foriest Housing Director at East Market Street Development Corp, Advisory Board,  Greensboro Beautiful.

Founder Building Triad Youth, Inc 1017 Glendale Drive # 35. That's strange, GuideStar shows the address as PO Box 142726 % Gabrielle Foriest Fayette, GA 30214  but the NC Secretary of State believes it to be located at 1017 Glendale Drive # 35  here in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In case your interested, 1017 Glendale Drive #35 just happens to be Ms Foriest's apartment where she also operates the women's "non profit" Elizabeth House, Inc. Could it be she chose the name Elizabeth House in the hope that potential doners might confuse her with the many other Elizabeth House women's charities  across the nation?

Previously, Gabrielle Nicole Foriest  was convicted of embezzlement.  It appears she's at it again.

It's has long been said we are judged by the company we keep. Considering what we now know about Gabrielle Nicole Foriest, Housing Director at East Market Street Development Corp and Phillip B Barnhill, Director of Operations at East Market Street Development Corp, I think we have a pretty good idea of what kind of guy Mac Sims really is and the roll he played in trading the shopping center on the corner of Phillips Avenue and Elwell Avenue for the selected site of the downtown Greensboro Performing Arts Center and the new private park planned by Walker Sanders and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.

That's right, Greensboro's leaders, including East Greensboro's "leaders" robbed my neighborhood to build the Greensboro Performing Arts Center. Not seeing the connection yet? You will before this day is over if you stay tuned to this website. Before today is over, the elite will look for tall buildings from which to jump and members of Greensboro City Council will tender their resignations lest they face the wrath of an entire city tomorrow night.

And the best, or worst, is yet to come.

PS. Ms Foriest, Remember that Youtube video? The one you took down? Somebody saved it and sent it to me. You have been a very bad girl. I can't post it here but it could end up om YouTube again.

East Market Street Development Corporation: Phillip B. Barnhill

 Hell came early... I couldn't wait any longer for Monday to come...

Wow, this is interesting. I'm told Phillip B. Barnhill is director of operations for East Market Street Development Corporation. I bet he won't be for long. And being that Mac Sims knew about this I'm thinking he might also want to start working on his resume as well. Welcome to Hell Day.



"FDIC Enforcement Decisions and Orders

---

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{{04-30-05 p.C-12367.1}} [¶12,367] In the Matter of Phillip B. Barnhill, First Citizens Bank & Trust, Raleigh, North Carolina, Docket No. 04-247e (2-25-05).
Respondent is prohibited from participating in the conduct of affairs of, or exercising voting rights in, any insured institution without the prior written approval of the FDIC.
[.1] Prohibition, Removal, or Suspension—Prohibition From—Participation in Conduct of Affairs
[.2] Prohibition, Removal, or Suspension—Prohibition From—Voting Rights, exercise of
In the Matter of
PHILLIP B. BARNHILL,
individually, and as an institution-affiliated party of
FIRST CITIZENS BANK & TRUST
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
(Insured State Nonmember Bank)
ORDER OF PROHIBITION FROM FURTHER PARTICIPATION
FDIC-04-247e
Phillip B. Barnhill ("Respondent") has been advised of the right to receive a NOTICE OF INTENTION TO PROHIBIT FROM FURTHER PARTICIPATION ("NOTICE") issued by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") detailing the unsafe or unsound banking practices and/or breaches of fiduciary duty for which an ORDER OF PROHIBITION FROM FURTHER PARTICIPATION ("ORDER") may issue, and has been further advised of the right to a hearing on the alleged charges under section 8(e) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act ("Act"), 12 U.S.C. §1818(e), and the FDIC's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 12 C.F.R. Part 308. Having waived those rights, Respondent entered into a STIPULATION AND CONSENT TO THE ISSUANCE OF AN ORDER OF PROHIBITION FROM FURTHER PARTICIPATION ("CONSENT AGREEMENT") with a representative of the Legal Division of the FDIC, whereby solely for the purpose of this proceeding and without admitting or denying any unsafe or unsound banking practices and/or breaches of fiduciary duty Respondent consented to the issuance of an ORDER by the FDIC.
The FDIC considered the matter and determined it had reason to believe that:

(a) Respondent has engaged or participated in unsafe or unsound banking practices and/or breaches of fiduciary duty while an institution-affiliated party of First Citizens Bank & Trust, Raleigh, North Carolina (the "Bank");
(b) by reason of such practices the Bank has suffered financial loss or other damage and/or Respondent has received financial gain or other benefit; and
(c) such practices involve personal dishonesty on the part of Respondent and/or demonstrate Respondent's willful or continuous disregard for the safety or soundness of the Bank.

The FDIC further determined that such practices demonstrate Respondent's unfitness to serve as a director, officer, person participating in the conduct of the affairs or as an institution-affiliated party of the Bank, any other insured depository institution, or any other agency or organization enumerated in section 8(e)(7)(A) of the Act, 12 U.S.C. §1818(e)(7)(A). The FDIC, therefore, accepts the CONSENT AGREEMENT and issues the following:
{{04-30-05 p.C-12368.1}}
ORDER OF PROHIBITION FROM FURTHER PARTICIPATION
1. Phillip B. Barnhill, Respondent, is hereby, without the prior written approval of the FDIC and the appropriate Federal financial institutions regulatory agency, as that term is defined in section 8(e)(7)(D) of the Act, 12 U.S.C. §1818(e)(7)(D), prohibited from:
[.1] (a) participating in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of any financial institution or organization enumerated in section 8(e)(7)(A) of the Act, 12 U.S.C. §1818(e)(7)(A);
[.2] (b) soliciting, procuring, transferring, attempting to transfer, voting, or attempting to vote any proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any voting rights in any financial institution enumerated in section 8(e)(7)(A) of the Act, 12 U.S.C. §1818(e)(7)(A);
(c) violating any voting agreement previously approved by the appropriate Federal banking agency; or
(d) voting for a director, or serving or acting as an institution-affiliated party.
2. This ORDER will become effective upon its issuance by the FDIC. The provisions of this ORDER will remain effective and enforceable except to the extent that, and until such time as, any provision of this ORDER shall have been modified, terminated, suspended, or set aside by the FDIC.
Pursuant to delegated authority.
Dated this 25th day of February, 2005."

Just in case you think I've somehow aquired the computer skills to make this stuff up, here's the link to the FDIC Webpage on  Phillip B. Barnhill. 

But wait, it gets better... Stay tuned to Hell Day here at East Greensboro Performing Arts Center for the latest dirt on all the politicians you love to hate.

East Market Street Development Corporation: Mac Sims

There are only 2 reasons to keep off-limits personal files in your office at work: One might be that you're trying to hide credit card receipts and bank statements from your wife. The other might be that you're trying to hide credit card receipts and bank statements from the taxpayers. Which is it, Mac?

For those who might not have heard of the East Market Street Development Corporation, it is East Greensboro's version of Downtown Greensboro Incorporated without the BID tax and they've been coming up on my radar a lot lately. They'd like to tell you about all they've accomplished to help the economic development of East Greensboro and the East Market Street Corridor but it appears they spend most of their time and money involved in local politics padding the pockets of the local "community organizers" with their biggest claims to economic development being replacing an old shopping center with a new shopping center and an empty lot where a post office used to stand. Key word: "downtown gentry."

13 acres, most of it under sound roof and behind solid brick walls with loading docks that handled dozens of tractor-trailers a day for many years. I know, I bumped those docks many times when I hauled mail. We had jobs in East Greensboro then, now they tear down the jobs to make room for the downtown gentry. Downtown gentry who never came and probably never will. Had they not been such dumbasses cared about the working class instead of the downtown gentry they could have partnered with NC A&T across the street and converted the old post office to do this:



I'm already building such an operation in my East Greensboro back yard, albeit only 3 such tanks... But instead we got this:


View Larger Map

Already East Greensboro could be exporting food and providing much needed jobs right here in East Greensboro. Instead, we've has an empty lot for 5 years with no potential buyers and no money to build anything. Sure, we could build a new building there to do the same. At a cost of about $60 Million when the old building was just fine. Thank you very much, Mac Sims. Thank you very much, Goldie Wells. Thank you very much, Milton Kern.

You see, like the rest of Greensboro's "leaders" Mac Sims and the rest of the East Market Street Development Corporation really don't give a damn about economic development unless there's something in it for them.

Funny, Greensboro's developers want to develop but they're so behind the times. While in Greensboro, developers talk of building performing arts centers, in Singapore, developers build downtown vertical farms that grow year 'round fresh produce at 1/4 the cost of conventionally grown produce. Imagine building a building that could make you money hand over fist for the rest of your life selling something everyone has to have to live at a cost so low no one else can compete with you while never dealing with problem tenants, RUCO inspections, negotiating payoffs commissions to Mayors who are also your commercial realtor...

Who am I kidding, there's no developers in Greensboro smart enough to figure that out. But don't worry folks, as someone said to me last night, they are all about to have their minsky moment.

As an aside, no fault of DH Griffin as he submitted the low bid for the demolition of the post office and won the contract fair and square. But Mr Griffin himself happened to come by my office back in 2010 and we discussed the post office and other buildings he was tearing town. He informed me that had he known it was for sale, he could have bought the building, torn it down, sold the steel, hauled everything away and turned a profit while being left with an empty lot to sell at some point in the future. As a matter of fact: he does that on a regular basis. The fact that the steel in such an old building is so valuable reinforces the idea that no new building is greener than a sound old building. And it reinforces the fact that Greensboro's developers have long been leading us down the road to ruin.

What The Media And The City Aren't Telling You About The Renaissance Community Co-op Part 8

Here we are at number 8 in a series of articles about the ongoing attempt to steal a community owned grocery store co-op from the hands of the poor working class community trying to build it and give it away, no strings attached, to groups of wealthy powerful developers who bring nothing to the table but more debt to taxpayers and money taken out of a community that is already suffering. I should know as I've lived here for over 50 years. If you'd like to begin with Part 1...

From a city of Greensboro public information request in which I asked how much did the City of Greensboro spend for the rehabilitation of the unit of the Bessemer Shopping Center occupied by the Family Dollar Store.

"Per your public information request on how much did the rehabilitation of the Family Dollar space in the strip mall cost; Family Dollar was required to invest 100K in order to extend their lease.  They provided their construction budget as verification but the City did not do a cost certification.  The City spent approximating 24K to clean up, repair and repaint the façade."

So it only cost the City of Greensboro $24,000 to fix up the facade for the Family Dollar Store but with private developers fixing the facade for the remainder of the shopping center the cost is said to run somewhere close to $3 Million. Folks, this is a tiny shopping center. Yeah, I know there's talk of some things being added but why add anything as long as there are empty shops remaining? And right now, with the exception of one, all the shops are empty.

You see, for the last 14 years the Family Dollar was the only store in the Bessemer Shopping Center that had been bought in a corporate bailout a few years before from wealthy real estate developer, Katherine Stern Weaver of the Weaver Foundation, known for its philanthropy in support of a wealthy art collection while poor children just 5 miles away in East Greensboro do without. That's right, while Katherine Stern Weaver gets tax breaks for her art collection the City of Greensboro saves her business from letting one tiny strip mall go back to the bank.

Ever wondered about the definition of philanthropy. It means "love of humanity" and yet we use it to describe anyone who gets a tax break or forms a non profit. I'm a poet, novelist, writer of short stories and songs. I love art but in the scheme of things adding to the tax burdens of poor families to save your precious art collections because your business went south hardly seems like philanthropy. It seems like greed.

Then there is the question of where the money came from to buy the Bessemer Shopping Center in the first place. Most readers will be surprised to read that Mac Sims of the East Market Street Development Corporation-- yet another Greensboro "non profit" that only recently popped up on my RADAR-- diverted roughly half a million Dollars from a $5 Million Dollar East Greensboro economic development bond previously approved by Greensboro voters whom I'm sure were not voting to bail out wealthy real estate developers with private art collections worth hundreds of $Millions.

Now how does giving money to a wealthy developer aid in the economic development of East Greensboro? Did she will us her art collection so we could sell it off and invest that money in our community? I think everyone reading knows the answer. I think Mac Sims, EMSDC and the Greensboro City Council enguaged in a good old fashioned case of misappropriation of funds.

And just who sits on the Board of Directors of the  East Market Street Development Corporation? Why none other than Uncle Milton Kern and a few more you just might know.

So for those of you who blame all of East Greensboro's problems on those of us who live in East Greensboro: Now you know who the real shop lifters have been all along. The same ones who have had their fingers in every other pie in town.

As I wrote in parts 1-7, other elite developers now want the shopping center but only after the community around the shopping center took it on our own to try and bring it back to life. And only after it looked as if we might become successful. Talk about a slap in the face. We go from being ripped off by a wealthy art collector/real estate developer to trying to be ripped off by a slumlord developer George Carr and our own 20 year district county commissioner and former North Carolina NAACP President turned swindler, Skip Alston.

And did I mention that Mr Alston's partners were foreign investors? Yes, several times, I'm sure.

I also asked the city to tell me who to contact if myself or someone else might be interested in renting the empty shops. You see, until now the City of Greensboro has made no effort to rent any of the empty spaces. No where at the Bessemer Shopping Center can you find contact information or even who owns the property. It's as if the City of Greensboro wanted the property to remain vacant forever or at least long enough to have the excuse that the City could no longer afford to lose money on the property and would be better off the give it away to a wealthy developer.

My guess is the second is closer to the truth.

Continue reading What The Media And The City Aren't Telling You About The Renaissance Community Co-op Part 9