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minnow 
Group: Members
Posts: 2243
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2004,2:38 pm |
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"Councilor Jeff Fjelstad walked through the building about a year ago and observed broken glass, mold and a ruined stage, he said.
Recently, windows have been broken and people have built fires inside, Sparks said.
The city's options include buying the building back but they would probably lose money in the deal.
"(The developer) has been vague about how much he wants," Sparks said."
Check this----->They foolishly give the building to someone from Minneapolis for $1.00, he comes in and takes thousands of dollars of building materials out of it that he can recycle...
Now the city wants it back and he won't say how much he wants for it! So we'll spend thousands, perhaps tens of thousands on legal action.
Does Sparky sound like the kind of guy we want heading up economic development? I don't trust Sparky with money and assets. Now he has access to hundreds of thousands and no one watching the books like a hawk, which is what one needs when SPARKY'S in charge.
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| Post Number: 2
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Jesus Juice
Group: Members
Posts: 107
Joined: Jan. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2004,2:58 pm |
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I had to read this article twice to make sure I really read what I just read (you never know, sometimes the Jesus juice clouds your vision).
It certainly does not surprise me, just business as usual in Albert Lea. Chalk another one up for Sparky & his gang of dimwits.
-JJ
-also, isn't it ALHS not AHLS? Great job of proof reading by the trib.
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http://www.mankatochat.com
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| Post Number: 3
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Frustrated
Group: Members
Posts: 226
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2004,4:15 pm |
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Minnow seems to have hit this one on the head. You'd think competent city officials wouldn't get themselves into such situations and wouldn't let people screw with them like this. Perhaps its time to condemn the old part of the building and force developer to tear it down ASAP. Wonder what he pays in property tax - could also reassess value of what's left. Seems like a large lot next to park and church, near down town and lake, newer addition with pool and courtyard. lots of concrete work. Should call for a ton of property taxes - then could foreclose after taxes not paid. City certainly shouldn't give more than $1 to get it back.
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| Post Number: 4
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Clovis
Group: Members
Posts: 247
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2004,6:23 pm |
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I just read the article... that's sad. I went to one of the last concerts in the old high school building, and, in my opinion, the old auditorium is much better acoustically than the one at the new high school. And that's just the very tip of the iceburg on this story.
*sigh*
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On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. --Antoine de St-Exupéry
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| Post Number: 5
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rosebudinal
Group: Members
Posts: 303
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2004,6:32 pm |
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The state of the building and the sale of it for $1 says all there is to say about Albert Lea, along with the shady buyer, why not take advantage of our foolish "leaders" just when one thinks we couldn't be more of a laughing stock!!!!
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| Post Number: 6
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minnow
Group: Members
Posts: 2243
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2004,6:46 pm |
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All of this happened...we got in this position because our leaders were not honest with us. They should have told us that purchasing a brand new high school was only part of the economic equation...the other half involves tearing down the old facility. They knew that adding those costs would make you think twice about voting to spend for a new building so they made you believe the building could be fixed up by a investor. If that were true---->then it would've been a good deal to just stay in the old building and just do repairs.
Shameful and selfish.
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| Post Number: 7
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usmcr
Group: Members
Posts: 922
Joined: Sep. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2004,6:59 pm |
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Does someone on this board know how this could play out? It is my understanding that the school district has some funds in reserve for demolition. anyone know anything about this? the person who bought this property must have some legal obligations to keep the site secure. which govt. bodies could persue the issue, city or county? it would seem that it would cost a ton of money to completly demolish the site as it is as large or larger than the old packing plant. there also must be a ton of astestos which will need to be disposed of, which in its self could prove costly. has anyone looked to see if any part of the site could be salvaged to be useful in some capacity? this seems like a strange deal, buying it for a dollar, gutting it of any thing of value & then just ignoring the problem. if and when this comes back to haunt the taxpayer it will be a sad day indeed. it would seem that the school district would have some responsability regarding the site. selling it for $1.00 does not seem to be an eqitable solution. this situation seems to be coming to a head & where it is heading is anyones guess!!! 
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"Do not confuse dissent with disloyalty" Edward R Murrow
Memento homo quia pulvis es, et in pulverem veverteris
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| Post Number: 8
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rosebudinal
Group: Members
Posts: 303
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 12 2004,7:47 pm |
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Oh, I'll tell you where the head is, it's up their __sses, oops, sometimes its so hard to be a lady regarding these matters 
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| Post Number: 9
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Ole1kanobe
Group: Members
Posts: 1360
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 12 2004,8:30 pm |
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Here's an idea, why doesn't AL get the old school back and put it up on eBay, lol!
Saw that on Good Morning America that some small town actually did that, sold for a decent price I think too. Also got them national attention for the town.
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The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
-Albert Einstein-
Some of what is said here (myself included) is about as tolerable as listening to someone vacuum a cat.
-nphilbro-
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| Post Number: 10
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farouk
Group: Members
Posts: 157
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 13 2004,8:17 am |
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The school district sold the building. At the time of the sale it was said that the school district had a reserve for the demolition of the building. If they sold the building with some language about the new owner having to perform within some specific time and/or standard, calling the new owners about nonperformance might obligate the district to demolish the building. I'm not sure but I think the reserve that was in place for that purpose has been redirected to other needs since the building was successfully sold to this developer. If the building has infact become a hazard to the community, it will cost us to remove it. I don't fault the school district or the city on this one. They employed a regional and a local real estate firm to market the building, who advertised the property. It not like there were lost of offers to buy the property. The offer of a $1 took over a year to get. It was better at the time to take the buck and hope that the building would need to be raised.
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