resurfaced, should give the county pause. And, how did Codina get his name in this one? The Commission has to question the County Manager better. This is certainly a case when a red flag should go up, when the Manager does this lame tactic of "hurry hurry" I say slow down:"Burgess told commissioners they needed to speed up the purchase two weeks ago when he sent a note to Joe Martinez asking that the item be waived through the committee process because it's ``time-sensitive in nature.''
As usual the boondoggle started with a no bid deal:
"In 2000, the county inked a no-bid deal with BAC Funding, a nonprofit created in 1982 to stimulate economic growth in Liberty City after a 1980 riot. Under the agreement, the county provided land, backed $21 million in bonds and invested millions more so BAC could build new offices and rehab two parking garages for the county."
I looked up the Florida Non Profit Corporation BAC Funding Corporation. The officers are: Ronald E. Fraizier, Edwin Miler, Harvey Roderick, Basil Bernard and Otto Latimer. I went back in their paperwork: The County's Housing Czar, Cynthia Curry, was an officer!! Also Jose Cancella.
This Corporation has dozens of civil suits in its records. Can’t figure out where they all came from. I saw another name surface, former Mayor of North Miami, Joe Celestine, on the civil suit list.
I am curious, have they appraised this building WITHOUT the land? You are telling me this building is worth $27 without the land? Why should the non-profit reap $7 million? What does non-profit actually mean? I am very suspicious when the county is in such a big rush to do something. Like that deal a couple of weeks ago with the health insurance. Why are they always under the gun with their decisions? The Health Insurance bid should have been re-bid. You can’t just throw out price as a criteria. But they didn't have time so price was dispensed with.
I am inclined to lose money and take the time to do it right.
This building deal looks like another one of these too quick to pull the trigger deals. And why was it hidden from the Commission originally buried in one of those long PDF's? I am seeing many PDF's over 100 pages come out of the County:
"...the $27 million in bond proceeds that would pay for the building was tucked into a 254-page document commissioners were asked to approve last March, one of nearly a dozen projects in a $250 million bond sale."
The Commission is deciding the purchase today: Don’t do it Commissioners.
And what is with these longevity bonuses as reported today in the Miami Herald: Longevity bonus swells Dade payroll. $16,000,000 this year alone. Come on! If anyone should get these it is teachers and I note that even at the school board, which has them, teachers are left out! Get rid of this pork.
7 comments:
If Lennar can walk away from all of that money put on deposit for property outside of the UDB, and in other sunbelt states because the market is tanking then the County should also make the right "business decision" and do the same thing.
very very good point
Status:
072091 Resolution
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF THE CONTRACT FOR SALE AND PURCHASE IN LIEU OF CONDEMNATION FOR ACQUISITION OF THE MARTIN LUTHER KING BUILDING AT 2525 NW 62 STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA LOCATED ON COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $27,323,595.39; AND THE EXECUTION OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND BAC FUNDING CORPORATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 3,903 SQUARE FEET OF GROUND FLOOR AREA LOCATED IN THE MARTIN LUTHER KING BUILDING; AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO TAKE ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE ACQUISITION AND LEASE AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO EXERCISE ANY AND ALL OTHER RIGHTS CONFERRED THEREIN(General Services Administration Department) Carried over to July 26, 2007
Cynthia Curry's name keeps coming up in shady deals. She reviewed and approved the biotech parking contract with Roger Carlton, but he was fired and she remains on GB's staff. Of course there is the criminal investigation into her double billing, too, regarding her $4.5 million aviation contract her consulting company received after she joined GB's staff. Now we find she was an officer in the MLK building. Does she stand to profit from its sale? How can we have confidence in her efforts to clean up the Housing department when she has business dealings with all the unsavory characters who have been ripping us off?
Last Anon:
Curry was an officer when it first was formed. i just found it interesting that he named popped up and Celestin's. I do not think she will profit from the deal that went bust, according to today's paper.
Cynthia Curry's name seems to pop up regarding every shady stupid deal in Miami-Dade County.
Why should the sleazy sellers get the money for selling the land? Is it true they got the land from the taxpayers?
Non-profit?
I say let's just move the county offices out of the MLK building. We wont even need to rent elsewhere. There should be plenty of new vacant space at the SPCC and 140 bldg with the new transit bldg being occupied. What will the MLK bldg owners do once the county pulls out as their tenant? Do you think anyone else will rent there, esp. at those rates? I doubt it. The sleazy owners will be begging to give that bldg away.
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