Rose Furniture

VietVet wrote: IMO, public taxpayer money should NEVER be used to stimulate development, especially in the downtown area. It should have been private money from day one down there. Let the investor take the hit if a failure, not the taxpayer who has no sayso as to how their money is being used. If the downtown can't be developed using private money, then let it die on the vine. They have spent millions for over a decade down there and look at the pathetic results we see to date. Ridiculous waste of time and money IMO. Downtown speculation building purchases, using taxpayer money, is as wrong as it gets. Let these business people who believe in their downtown take the risk. I hope they are all successful but don't help them out using other people's money. Just flat out wrong.

But Bob, Robinette isn't a typical investor. A typical investor sees and opportunity and uses/risks THEIR OWN MONEY to finance the endeavor. Robinette, a former city employee I believe, takes the CITY TAXPAYER'S MONEY GIVEN TO HIM BY HIS CITY PALS, and uses other people's money to do business. Vast difference in investment techniques.

It does not take guts to risk other people's money with no consequences if the transaction fails. Anyone can do that.

It does take guts to invest your own money though.

Robinette, as I have heard in the past, has no money of his own to risk so he gets it from his buddies in the city building.......on multiple occasions I believe.

And what is the history of the Robinette city money give-away to date?

We have the Rose Building----a bust so far

We have the Goetz Tower incident----has this produced anything worth noting so far? Anyone?

And, we have the brewery place where the last I heard some brewery tanks were installed but is it functional as yet? Haven't heard. Anyone?

Do these examples of dealing with Robinette seem like a worthy endeavor to you Bob? If the answer is no, then why does the city keep giving him money if he doesn't produce viable results? The guy is a snake oil salesman and the city leaders are actually buying into his bs.

IMO, public taxpayer money should NEVER be used to stimulate development, especially in the downtown area. It should have been private money from day one down there. Let the investor take the hit if a failure, not the taxpayer who has no sayso as to how their money is being used. If the downtown can't be developed using private money, then let it die on the vine. They have spent millions for over a decade down there and look at the pathetic results we see to date. Ridiculous waste of time and money IMO. Downtown speculation building purchases, using taxpayer money, is as wrong as it gets. Let these business people who believe in their downtown take the risk. I hope they are all successful but don't help them out using other people's money. Just flat out wrong.

Hell, the east end is more active with more viable shopping than the dam downtown ever was and it was all done with private monies.

The downtown died in 1958 when the Middletown Shopping Center and I-75 were built. The downtown migration to the east side of town started then. We older residents remember the location transition well.

whistlersmom wrote: Douglas Adkins posted this on Jan. 20, 2017 at 8:56 am under “Manchester Inn sold” “Rose Furniture will be rebuilt as part of the Goetz Tower project with retail first floor and upper level apartments. Took a long time but it will get done.” John, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Rose Furniture to be completed. The now deteriorated condition of the structure is obvious. Just stand by a window on the sidewalk and look up inside – you will see the sky due to the roof having fallen to street level. In 2013, Robinette was given (free and clear) Rose Furniture plus $300,000 to fix the roof. Nothing has been done. How much has the delay added to the cost of rebuilding? Why didn’t (shouldn’t) the city have a contract requiring start and completion dates? No urgency here! Wonder what Robinette did with the $300k for the roof!!? Has Robinette run out of money? Is that the reason the city had to lease the first floor of the Goetz Tower? What else can we give him to support his lifestyle? Oh yeah, Liberty Spirits. After the Rose Furniture debacle, why does the city continue to favor Robinette over any others who might want to make a real contribution to their revitalization plans?

http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6417&PID=47768

Libertarian wrote: Vivian, Steve, Terry, Mike and Pacman -   As you know, Mr. Akins had over $3 Million in two separate NSP allocations at his disposal.  Despite the fact that he wasted up to $75,000 per individual housing acquisition/rehabilitation project, whatever happened to the funds that were netted from eventual sale of these frivolous undertakings?  How much funding is involved?  Were these funds diverted to "downtown" projects like the acquisition of the asbestos-laden movie theater on Central Avenue?  Or, is he using these taxpayers dollars on more property demolition?  What is going on?

over the hill wrote: That's the questions that has been asked all along, but we can't seem to get answers. The only way to get these answers is probably an outside audit.Every time someone goes to city offices for answers, you get stonewalled and put off.

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE OF COMMUNICATION.
All of them are nothing but LIARS. They have been doing it such a long time they have to make up a new lie to cover up another lie.

Vivian, Steve, Terry, Mike and Pacman -

Spider, I think you struck a cord: "Tough but Fair" I think that's all anybody wants.

Steve -

Thank You Libertarian,You hit the nail on the head!!!

LOL Hope he gets his MOJO workin' with that power, he's going to need it. GO ahead, Doug, bully HUD

Thank you Ms. Ramero for standing before council and telling us how Adkins REALLY treats people when he thinks no one is watching.

I like this comment from Lewitt.......

“A complete demolition would create a dead space, a black hole, a front tooth missing in the smile of that block,” said Lewitt, who represents the ownership of the adjacent U.S. Hotel at 34 S. Main St. “It will be another lot for the city to mow, maintain and to sit on for who knows how long. Instead, why not save the facade?”



UHH.........RACHEL, WHAT ABOUT ALL THE "DEAD SPACE"...."BLACK HOLE"....."FRONT TOOTH MISSING IN THE SMILE OF THE TOWN IN VARIOUS PLACES" (COMICAL COMMENT FROM RACHEL BY THE WAY) COMING FROM THE EMPTY SPACE FROM ROOSEVELT SCHOOL,OLD JEFFERSON SCHOOL, SUNSET POOL, HALF THE FRIKKIN' DOWNTOWN, BY THE TRAIN STATION, THE OLD HOSPITAL AREA AND OTHERS? KINDA LOOKS A LITTLE DESOLATE IN THOSE AREAS TOO, RIGHT? IT AIN'T JUST YOUR PROPERTIES AND IT AIN'T JUST YOUR DOWNTOWN THAT THIS APPLIES TO, RACH. IF DEAD SPACE BOTHERS YOU, WHY DOES IT BOTHER YOU IN JUST THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND NOT THE ENTIRE TOWN? THIS DAM TOWN IS LOOKING A LITTLE "APOCALYPTIC" THESE DAYS WITH ALL THE EMPTY "NOTHINGNESS" THAT IS LEFT AFTER THE SATURATION DEMOLITION. WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE BEFORE THE OTHERS WERE TORN DOWN?