Tuesday, April 18, 2017

WWL-TV Story on LaSalle Street

David Hammer and WWL-TV ran a great story on the LaSalle street "appropriation" by the LSED.

City never compensated for street engulfed by Champions Square

Zelia (Benson) claims they haven't benefited by the street appropriation in respect to their profit sharing plan because the LSED hasn't yet covered the cost of the money the state invested in capital investment on improvements to the area. Admittedly (and I stated this in the blog post) I wasn't sure what the nature of the profit sharing plan was.

However, there are still funding mechanisms between the LSED and Zelia that need to be scrutinized namely an interesting "marketing fund" that involves a 50/50 profit sharing plan of some source of revenue I haven't yet figured out.

Still, it's a dubious argument to say Benson isn't benefiting from the appropriation of the street. They are getting 2.3 million annually in a base lease agreement. The street has been illegitimately (I would say illegally) included into the Champions Square footprint and when the LSED covers their capital investment on improvements the profit sharing plan will kick in and then Zelia's entire argument becomes completely moot.

How can Zelia argue they aren't benefitting from the street appropriation by the LSED? If the city removed the permanent structures, opened it back up to traffic, put parking meters in...would it affect the income the LSED is generating off their lease of the property? Of course it would.

Zella's argument is that they are not benefitting by the appropriation of the street because the profit sharing plan hasn't kicked in....yet. I call bullshit. Are they going to refuse the surplus income when it does kick in because they recognize they don't own the street?

Why are Benson Tower security guards trying to block WWL-TV from shooting video on the street if they don't have any...forgive me...dominion...over it?

Still...still...the street has been illegally taken over by the LSED at great cost to the City. Take Zelia out of the equation and it's NOT LEGAL. The City is getting screwed...period.

Hammer and team did a great job getting to the bottom of this..and please read the story with the video as well because it's apparently rooted in a verbal deal (stand-off) bartered between former CNO Deputy Mayor Andy Kopplin and the Jindal admin. regarding a land swap with Duncan Plaza. A deal that was apparently never documented.

The bottom line is the LSED should never have moved forward with any alterations to the street without the legal protocols being met. It was illegal. The City has been screwed out of millions of dollars because a backroom, verbal deal was being cut and the guys that were dealing are all gone from the public realm leaving this turd behind with nary a shred of paperwork.


The other bottom line is that I have a face for radio.

3 comments:

Clay said...

The other bottom line is that I have a face for radio.

😉

Anonymous said...

Jason what is going on with the AZ? Are you traveling with Mitch for his Presidential run

Jason Brad Berry said...

This little thing called life is going on. I'm trying to make a living and support my family.