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Thursday, April 16, 2015
ROC Owner: City Got A Heckuva Deal
The Indianapolis news media in typical fashion continue to ignore the debacle known as the Regional Operations Center ("ROC"), the 25-year, $20 million lease for the former Eastgate Mall that one city employee described as worse than war-torn buildings he encountered touring a tour of duty in Iraq. At the most recent meeting of the City-County Council's ROC Investigating Committee, committee members learned that taxpayers have shelled out at least $5 million in expenses associated with the ROC facility during its first 28 months of operation, including about $1.6 million in rent. The Ballard administration lied to the council and the public and claimed the City had to build the ROC in order to host the Super Bowl in 2012. Council members also heard from the owner's politically-connected owner, Alex Carroll, who insists taxpayers got "an amazing deal." Watch this brief clip of the council's chairman, Joe Simpson, sparring with Carroll and his attorney, David Brooks, and as Carroll explains the "amazing deal."
It was supposed to be good for the surrounding businesses. But they went out of business. Now their buildings are rotting. Look at the old blue moon tavern. Its falling down. They had to tear down the theaters. Nothing new has come in. Its a phenomenal location, Shadeland between Washington and 10th. But the ROC has looked like a disaster zone. So no new restaurants. And the doctor's and dentists' offices on Shortridge are all talking about moving out. There is some work being done there, but its been too slow and it still looks awful. Everybody involved ought to spend some time in jail for what they've done.
ReplyDeleteSame goes with the deal to the developer of abandoned houses on the east side for super bowl development to build newer ones. Follow the money on that one as well as who has come and gone on leadership roles on this deal.
ReplyDeleteThat's sparring?
ReplyDeletewhat are the names of this committee members? I only recognize Gray & Sandlin.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Simpson, Chair
ReplyDeleteAaron Freeman
Monroe Gray, Jr.
Pamela Hickman
Benjamin Hunter
Angela Mansfield
Janice McHenry
Vop Osili
Marilyn Pfisterer
Jack Sandlin
Interesting. Dhs (Deinst Heits Sicher) has made sweet deals with closed mall owners and sports arenas for use during "national emergencies" to "house" people. I supose this goes along with the Indy fema camp;
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyaLK7WJbpw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukXZHLH0WKY
Are not Indianapolis and the Marion County GOP damned fortunate to have such a great, warm-hearted, team player like David Brooks? [sarcasm intentional] David Brooks, the guy who wrote the one-sided lease for his good friend Alex Carroll. .. a lease which brutalizes Marion County taxpayers? David Brooks, the guy who engineered his attorney wife Susan Brooks (also a close friend of Carroll) to her seat in Congress? David Brooks, the guy who had one of his chess pieces pay him over $200,000 without the full knowledge of the Council or even the former Councilor's own party? David Brooks, the guy who actually made it more difficult for his Marion County GOP to win future elections?
ReplyDeleteThere is far more many of us could say... and if metro Indy had an actual journalistic hard print media, the deeply hidden news of GOP criminal elements if unearthed by actual reporters would send subscription rates soaring.