DIA CEO will look to philanthropists to close gap between project costs, profit

[HangingMoth]

Maybe a little of topic but I was just wondering about this statement, 

"Establishing a Downtown master plan also is a priority, which the authority has retained a consultant to develop. Barakat said the consultant has projected it to be complete by February."

From the Jax Daily Record article....

Who might this be? Anyone associated with Metrojax? 

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Personally, I'm going to defer to the DIA Board fro now.  There are some real giid quality people on there and trust that they made the best decision based on who was in the applicant pool

Personally, I'm going to eventually start counting the fucks I give on both hands.  This is one of those.  How can you honestly say that the 'best' pick is one that has admittedly not performed the job he was hired to do in the past?

How can you honestly say that the 'best' pick is one that has proven personal interests in the funnel through which the money flows?

How can you honestly say that the 'best' pick is one that understands that 'risks must sometimes be taken' when they're using someone else's money?

Defer all you want, TUFSU, but we've already paid for the Shipyards to not get developed.  I've got a feeling that we're going to be paying for them to NOT get developed again.

[tufsu1]

Maybe a little of topic but I was just wondering about this statement, 

"Establishing a Downtown master plan also is a priority, which the authority has retained a consultant to develop. Barakat said the consultant has projected it to be complete by February."

From the Jax Daily Record article....

Who might this be? Anyone associated with Metrojax? 

as noted in another thread, the firm is Prosser Hallock

[HangingMoth]

Maybe a little of topic but I was just wondering about this statement, 

"Establishing a Downtown master plan also is a priority, which the authority has retained a consultant to develop. Barakat said the consultant has projected it to be complete by February."

From the Jax Daily Record article....

Who might this be? Anyone associated with Metrojax? 

as noted in another thread, the firm is Prosser Hallock

Alrighty then...

[thelakelander]

Personally, I'm going to defer to the DIA Board fro now.  There are some real giid quality people on there and trust that they made the best decision based on who was in the applicant pool

I don't believe they made the "best choice" and I for one am not content to defer to leaders who don't seem to care about who we put into positions that impact all of us.  The DIA failed this test in my view and needs to correct their error sooner rather than later. 

The other guy had some issues in his past as well:

Audit questions official's record A report says Kevin R. Hanna and his former agency "lost control" of a Ga. project. It says he should be debarred.

A federal audit from Atlanta describes runaway costs, questionable land purchases and $3.8 million in no-bid contracts in a project supervised by the housing official whom Mayor Street has since named to help run his war on blight.

The audit raises questions about the management record of Kevin R. Hanna, Philadelphia's $175,000-a-year secretary of housing and neighborhood preservation.

Atlanta city officials and Hanna's former agency, the Atlanta Development Authority, "lost control" of a project called Historic Westside Village, says the audit by the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The feds say the City of Atlanta owes them $1.4 million, and shouldn't get any more redevelopment money until it proves it can control the money effectively. The auditors also urged HUD to consider possible sanctions against Hanna and other officials who ran the Atlanta project, including debarring them from handling future HUD funds.

full article: http://articles.philly.com/2003-06-17/news/25447274_1_atlanta-project-audit-questions-housing-official

[Cheshire Cat]

Personally, I'm going to defer to the DIA Board fro now.  There are some real giid quality people on there and trust that they made the best decision based on who was in the applicant pool

Personally, I'm going to eventually start counting the fucks I give on both hands.  This is one of those.  How can you honestly say that the 'best' pick is one that has admittedly not performed the job he was hired to do in the past?

How can you honestly say that the 'best' pick is one that has proven personal interests in the funnel through which the money flows?

How can you honestly say that the 'best' pick is one that understands that 'risks must sometimes be taken' when they're using someone else's money?

Defer all you want, TUFSU, but we've already paid for the Shipyards to not get developed.  I've got a feeling that we're going to be paying for them to NOT get developed again.

Amen!  The degree of absurdity in supporting this pic for DIA director along with what appears to be the outright dismissal of the spurious activities of a persons past dealings is to me at least, jaw dropping.  I mean in what alternative reality is squandering and misusing tax dollars now something to be ignored, accepted and then rewarded with a high level position in a city that deserves so much better than is repeatedly handed to it?  What is going on in peoples heads when this is now okay and a past history set out by the Miami Herald spelling the whole miserable situation out is simply dismissed?  I hope all who visit this thread actually read the posts and what they link to because seriously people, this is not good stuff. 

[Cheshire Cat]

Personally, I'm going to defer to the DIA Board fro now.  There are some real giid quality people on there and trust that they made the best decision based on who was in the applicant pool

I don't believe they made the "best choice" and I for one am not content to defer to leaders who don't seem to care about who we put into positions that impact all of us.  The DIA failed this test in my view and needs to correct their error sooner rather than later. 

The other guy had some issues in his past as well:

Audit questions official's record A report says Kevin R. Hanna and his former agency "lost control" of a Ga. project. It says he should be debarred.

A federal audit from Atlanta describes runaway costs, questionable land purchases and $3.8 million in no-bid contracts in a project supervised by the housing official whom Mayor Street has since named to help run his war on blight.

The audit raises questions about the management record of Kevin R. Hanna, Philadelphia's $175,000-a-year secretary of housing and neighborhood preservation.

Atlanta city officials and Hanna's former agency, the Atlanta Development Authority, "lost control" of a project called Historic Westside Village, says the audit by the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The feds say the City of Atlanta owes them $1.4 million, and shouldn't get any more redevelopment money until it proves it can control the money effectively. The auditors also urged HUD to consider possible sanctions against Hanna and other officials who ran the Atlanta project, including debarring them from handling future HUD funds.

full article: http://articles.philly.com/2003-06-17/news/25447274_1_atlanta-project-audit-questions-housing-official

The money was pulled for downtown.  It is going to take a couple of years for any new hire to get up to speed.  Now is the time to say so long to Mr. Wallace and start a new search for the position.  Perhaps looking to hire someone who is actually from Jacksonville or who has lived here and understands our needs and comes without scandals tagged to their shirt tails is what should be happening.  Seriously, we have the talent here, lets use it for heaven sakes and let expect more in the area of ethical behavior.  Is that so unreasonable Jacksonville?

You know what is really sad is that Mr. Wallace (or Drew is it?)  also applied for a similar position in the tiny town of Lake Worth, Florida (population under 40,000 and seasonal).  He didn't make the final cut and was not hired but a few short years later he comes to us with HUD experience from the failed and broke city of Detroit, scandals in his past and Jacksonville is all in.  Something is seriously wrong with this picture

[thelakelander]

Pretty much everything in this thread was mentioned back in June when the selection process was still ongoing. This may have something to do with the lack of outrage. Many not believing the DIA will be anymore successful in turning downtown around than the old DDA was may also be a factor.

[Cheshire Cat]

Pretty much everything in this thread was mentioned back in June when the selection process was still ongoing. This may have something to do with the lack of outrage. Many not believing the DIA will be anymore successful in turning downtown around than the old DDA was may also be a factor.

Honesty Ennis.  I was amazed they went ahead with the hire after the funding was pulled.  Now having taken just a few hours today to look seriously into the scandals associated with and actions of Wallace via his non profit, using over $80K of tax dollars to fly P. Diddy around has me seriously outraged. That was flatly an illegal use of those funds.  He gets no pass from me.  The facts as shared via the documents I posted and what was exposed by the Miami Herald should have more folks hot under the collar and this fellow want's to grow himself a staff of five.  Seriously? 

[CityLife]

^I'm not going to touch the "scandal" stuff...but there is PLENTY of positive stuff a DIA director can do for downtown without the $9 million. Not to mention many other potential funding sources, credits, and incentives that he can utilize.

A $180k a year salary is absolutely nothing compared to the value that someone who is good at that position can bring to Downtown and to Jax. Whether or not Wallace is the guy, only time will tell, but the $9 million shouldn't be the end of the DIA.

[Cheshire Cat]

^I'm not going to touch the "scandal" stuff...but there is PLENTY of positive stuff a DIA director can do for downtown without the $9 million. Not to mention many other potential funding sources, credits, and incentives that he can utilize.

A $180k a year salary is absolutely nothing compared to the value that someone who is good at that position can bring to Downtown and to Jax. Whether or not Wallace is the guy, only time will tell, but the $9 million shouldn't be the end of the DIA.

I agree with what you are saying about there being much that can be accomplished by an experienced and ethical individual in the drivers seat of the DIA.  On the issue of Wallace in that position I think I have shared enough info to say he perhaps not the right guy for Jacksonville.

[ProjectMaximus]

Personally, I'm going to defer to the DIA Board fro now.  There are some real giid quality people on there and trust that they made the best decision based on who was in the applicant pool

I don't believe they made the "best choice" and I for one am not content to defer to leaders who don't seem to care about who we put into positions that impact all of us.  The DIA failed this test in my view and needs to correct their error sooner rather than later.

I think it was Lake (not positive though) who reported from the final interviews that Wallace was clearly the most prepared candidate that day. He was a long shot amongst members of this website to be the pick, but those in attendance said the other candidates displayed a bit of ignorance and unpreparedness, while of course our favorite of the bunch withdrew his name from consideration.

[Cheshire Cat]

Personally, I'm going to defer to the DIA Board fro now.  There are some real giid quality people on there and trust that they made the best decision based on who was in the applicant pool

I don't believe they made the "best choice" and I for one am not content to defer to leaders who don't seem to care about who we put into positions that impact all of us.  The DIA failed this test in my view and needs to correct their error sooner rather than later.

I think it was Lake (not positive though) who reported from the final interviews that Wallace was clearly the most prepared candidate that day. He was a long shot amongst members of this website to be the pick, but those in attendance said the other candidates displayed a bit of ignorance and unpreparedness, while of course our favorite of the bunch withdrew his name from consideration.

I believe Ennis was the one who shared those thoughts and I think he is also correct that the lack of outrage the last time some information surfaced about Wallace and the Miami scandal had to do with the fact that the process was still underway and other individuals were still in the mix for the position.  Perhaps some assumed no one in their right mind would chose a person to head an organization who there was and is serious question about. The fact that he was accepted in a corrupt Detroit does not win points for him in my book.  I really don't believe that all of those who made the decision to pick Wallace (which it appears was the best of a group of weak candidates) fully understood the depth and entirety of the scandal that was chasing him. If they knew and went ahead with the hire anyway, then "shame on them".  Jacksonville deserves not only competence but unquestionable integrity in leadership and it's time we start demanding that for ourselves. 

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

^I'm not going to touch the "scandal" stuff...but there is PLENTY of positive stuff a DIA director can do for downtown without the $9 million. Not to mention many other potential funding sources, credits, and incentives that he can utilize.

A $180k a year salary is absolutely nothing compared to the value that someone who is good at that position can bring to Downtown and to Jax. Whether or not Wallace is the guy, only time will tell, but the $9 million shouldn't be the end of the DIA.

Wow City...  Let's not touch the 'scandal stuff', and while I agree with you that a DIA director CAN do a lot of positive things for the city, why should we be left with the one that has a history of making un-kept promises, frivolously spending others' money and unable to track the simple payments of invoices on a project?

Sure $180k/yr may not make a hill of beans in our city's overall budget, but are you kidding me?  How many shells, funnels and pass-throughs does it take to multiply that salary 3X in the process of a single $30M project?

In my humble, ill-informed opinion, we've just hired a scam artist that may be capable of turning $.75M into over $30, but dollars don't always equal production.  Hell, how much have we already 'invested' in projects that have had ZERO return?  I can think of quite a few parking garages and a really large grassy area.

[Noone]

The scandal stuff is the most positive thing about Jacksonville. The Public Trust just destroyed. I know for me one of the most disturbing things about our community is  a pension was awarded  to a convicted child molester by a vote of the PFPF Board with community support. Governor Scott where are you on this one? Can't the governor override this?

FSCJ- scandal and Wallace. (No Relation) And the attorney landed a job where?
JTA- scandal and Blaylock-
Palms Fish Camp- Another scandal next to a FIND project. We are so LOST.
Allied Veterans scandal trial starting soon.
Shipyards/Landmar scandal- Isn't some of this $9,000,000 DIA play money from the refinancing of this debt?

The title of this thread- DIA CEO will look to the Feds to close gap between project costs, profit

DIA Board meeting today. Anyone going? I plan on being there. Let's start with Sunshine.