The more I hear about the mystery development proposed for the southwest corner of downtown Grand Rapids, the less I believe Mayor George Heartwell's vow of confidentiality to this unknown developer is strictly an academic concern.
First, not only the mayor, but the city manager and an assistant city manager have also signed confidentiality agreements -- and not just recently, but a year ago! This can only mean that these men in their capacity as City officials have been in communication with the unknown developer. The only reason for this developer to provide information to these officials is to get them to act on his behalf, otherwise why would he give share secrets with them? Yet, there is nothing that any of these officials can do in that regard except in full public view. Secrecy is not an option.
Second, now there is talk that the City could use, in the wake of the Kelo decision, the "Looterville" tactic of condemning property targeted for the mystery development if owners refuse to sell at the price the unknown developer wants to pay. While the Michigan Supreme Court has provided some protections against municipal abuse of eminent domain on behalf of private developers, they are not ironclad. If any of the City officials who signed a confidentiality agreement have discussed making the City's eminent domain powers available for this mystery development, we have a serious breach of the public trust. But we have no way of learning one way or another, so long as Heartwell and the others hide behind the developer's confidentiality agreements.
Third, I must wonder that if the City's planned legal assault upon the all-nude strip club going up on Market Avenue opposite of the proposed development is not on behalf of the project. The City Attorney's Office had previously been hamstrung from such an expensive and foolhardy course of action, because of the slam dunk it received from the courts the last time it tried to finagle the law to root out a particular sleaze operator. (Yeah, I'm no fan of strip clubs, but I'm less of a fan of moralizing government vendettas.) The City simply can't afford the $400K that its last strip club folly cost the taxpayers. However, a grassroots association out of nowhere put together a legal fund pledging (there's no cash yet, folks) to pay for $100,000 of the City's legal bills if it takes on this new strip club. (Even if none of this has to do with the unknown developer, once again we have private parties renting City departments for their own agenda. A topic for another day.)
This secrecy has been going on for a year now. All we can do is speculate as to how our city government is being used or perhaps abused to facilitate a private business agenda, because the City officials who chosen to enter the smoke-filled room and close the door behind them won't talk. Kudos to City Commissioner Rick Tormala who has denounced this secrecy. At least someone is speaking commonsense on behalf of the residents and taxpayers of Grand Rapids.
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