Coatesville City Council Vice President Karl Marking-Riverwalk Project Ground Breaking

Text of Karl Marking's Riverwalk speech:
"Riverwalk Project Ground Breaking
March 19, 2010; 10:00 a.m.

Good morning ladies and gentleman. My name is Karl Marking and I’m the Vice President of Coatesville’s City Council. On behalf of the city, I’d like to extend our sincere thanks for taking the time to attend this ceremony.

I’d like to open my remarks by first acknowledging where we’ve come from before I focus on where we are and where we’re heading. I would like to acknowledge that Coatesville is far from perfect. The last few years have seen one of the worst times in Coatesville’s recent history. We are coming out of a period of distrust between the city and her government. We are, at long last, emerging from a time of terrible crime, an arson spree that garnered national attention, and one of the worst economy’s since the great depression. But the important thing today, is that we are here; we are on the other side - a little wiser than we were before, but no less hopeful.

We are coming together this morning - not to dwell on the often harsh or disappointing realities of human nature, but instead to focus on what can be achieved through hard-work, timing, a little vision, and a lot of perseverance.

I’d like to share a quote from President Obama’s Nobel lecture last December:

We do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected.
We do not have to live in an idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place.
The non-violence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been practical or possible in every circumstance, but the love that they preached — their fundamental faith in human progress — that must always be the North Star that guides us on our journey.
For if we lose that faith — if we dismiss it as silly or naïve; if we divorce it from the decisions that we make — then we lose what’s best about humanity. We lose our sense of possibility.

Nobel Lecture [modified] Dec. 10, 2009

Grand words, perhaps, for such a small ceremony as this. But the reality is, for many people in the city of Coatesville, the city of Coatesville is the world. And regardless of how well travelled, well educated, or well intended any of us are, to thousands of people, Coatesville is home. And we have the honor and the responsibility to do all that we can to make it the best home possible for the over 10,000 people who continue to have faith in realizing a return on the investment of their hopes, their efforts, and their money. It is up to us - all of us - to do what is necessary to also make Coatesville a place that people can be proud to call home.

I see the river walk as more than a new project. It is more than a walking or cycling trail. It is a symbol; a promise soon to be fulfilled. It is another step toward finding Coatesville’s future and delivering on her potential for being more than she is, and perhaps - one day - more than she ever was.

I moved to Coatesville five years ago on this promise; the promise of a vibrant renovation of The Flats and of the downtown. Neither of which have been fully realized. And I am not alone. I know many people who took a similar chance on Coatesville. People with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to be a part of something not only new, but vibrant.

We have a lot of hard decisions to make and a lot of a hard work yet before us and we need to maintain that entrepreneurial spirit if we are to succeed. We have a main street that needs our attention. We have a school district working diligently to improve their reputation. We have a fully staffed police force. In short, we have the tools we need to build our city’s future. We also now have a group of people - from elected officials and city hall employees, to church leaders and every day citizens - who have been ready, willing and able to begin using these tools. We have vision. We have heart. We have faith in the fact that our city does not have to be idealized in order for us to realize our potential. It is up to us - all of us - to move Coatesville forward.
I am honored and pleased to be able to stand here today and be a part of this ground breaking ceremony; to be a part of the symbolism of what is on Coatesville’s horizon.

I asked Council President Simpson - who was unable to attend this morning’s festivities - if he’d like me to say a few words on his behalf. And ever the embodiment of brevity; he had just this to say: “Git R Done!”
Thank you."

See:
http://www.karlmarking.com/

And:
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/03/19/news/doc4ba3ececea693971922659.txt

And:
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/03/20/news/srv0000007858876.txt


And:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/88714797.html

And:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/88582697.html

Matt Baker’s post concerning Mosaic Development Partners

Matt did a very well researched summary of why Mosaic’s claims may be flawed.

“Put a fork in this one
Posted by MattBaker
Mar 08 2010
Hi Everyone,
Well attached for your review is the feasibility study presented to Greg Reaves of the Mosaic Development Partners from Pat Burns Owner of the Fresh Grocer. You’ll note the date of the study March 30th, 2009. Seems out dated right? Well as strange as that may be it’s the letter that was presented to the RDA a couple of weeks back in their February monthly meeting. So in one year’s time in essence nothing had changed from the original letter. One of the big parts of Mosaic’s deal was that they had a anchor tenant (Fresh Grocer) but needed Site Control in order to move forward. Well after reading this letter from Fresh Grocer it’s my opinion that they never had an anchor tenant because there were too many concerns from the Fresh Grocers side to address before they could commit.”

More with links to Fresh Grocer's letter to Mosaic and other documentation at Matt’s website:

http://bakerforcoatesville.com/2010/03/life-support/

Just looking for information about other stuff and came upon this:

"United States District Court
Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
CIVIL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 2:99-cv-03346-CN

Plaintiff
ARLENE LOPEZ-ARNETTE
represented by

ERIC STEELE
LAW OFFICE OF ERIC STEELE
1119 TWELFTH STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON , DC 20005-4661
LEAD ATTORNEY
ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED

LESLIE A. SMALLWOOD
LAW OFFICE OF SMALLWOOD AND ASSOCIATES
3-5 NORTH SECOND STREET
PHILA , PA 19106-2208
LEAD ATTORNEY
ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED"

And this from Avvo - http://www.avvo.com:

ERIC STEELE
“See sanction details This lawyer has been cited for professional misconduct by a state disciplinary authority.”
“New York Suspended
2006 02/06/2009
Dist. of Columbia Suspended
2005 10/02/2009”
From:
http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/20005-dc-eric-steele-694299.html#licenses

We were already aware of this:

http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/oae/oae2004.pdf

"LESLIE A. SMALLWOOD
Admitted: 1981; Elkins Park (Pennsylvania)
Disbarment - 176 N.J. 506 (2003)
Decided: 6/20/2003
APPEARANCES BEFORE SUPREME COURT
Richard J. Engelhardt for Attorney Ethics
Respondent failed to appear
The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that disbarment was the only appropriate discipline for an attorney who was disbarred in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for knowingly misappropriating clients’ trust funds in the amount of at least $139,500.

http://www.padisciplinaryboard.org/pa_attorney_public.php?id=62764&attname=Smallwood%2C+Leslie+A.+&violations=0

I can’t find anything like suspension or disbarment for Leslie Smallwood’s co-counsel Coatesville Attorney Michael Whitlow in the case for which she was disbarred; but then he is a Chester County Attorney.

Dec. 23rd Chetty Builders Flats meeting void and all actions at that meeting vacated.

A special meeting of the Coatesville City Council was held on December 23, 2009, 5:00 p.m. At that meeting, which lasted about 5 minutes, 4 members of City Council, 3 of whom are no longer in office voted to approve the sale of the North Flats Coatesville Redevelopment Authority property to Chetty Builders. City Council President Martin Eggleston was not president at that meeting. The meeting was called by the City Manager and chaired by Vice President Kareem Johnson.

At tonight's meeting the City Council said the December 23, 2009 meeting was not advertised in accordance with the requirements of the Sunshine Law, nor properly called by the presiding officer, City Council President Martin Eggleston, in violation of the City Charter.

Sunshine Law declares actions taken at an improperly advertised public meeting to be void. It also imposes penalties for an improperly advertised public meeting.

City Council declared the special meeting held by City Council on December 23, 2009 void and vacates all actions undertaken at that meeting.

City Council President Ed Simpson made it clear that the actions taken tonight are about the meeting and we don’t need to read into it anything else

Ms. Jorgenson’s flight was evidently delayed and she could not attend.

Approximately 25 residents were in attendance.

The legal document is here:

http://www.box.net/shared/5xlbejusp9

A recording of the meeting is here:

http://www.box.net/shared/mdxpd86fnc

Also see post "About Chetty deal meeting 'suspicious":

http://coatesvilledems.blogspot.com/2010/01/about-chetty-deal-meeting-suspicious.html

Brownfield Remediation Forum tonight in Phoenixville

Green Team Forum Tonight January 20th 7 PM
tonight's topic is Brownfield Remediation

7:00 pm, Wednesday, January 20, 2009
Molly Maguires, 3rd Floor
Phoenixville, PA 19460

"The meetings are fun and informative, last about an hour and are free!"

http://downtownphoenixvillenews.blogspot.com/2010/01/green-team-forum-tonight-january-20th-7.html

The Big Show March 28, 2006

This excerpt from “The Big Show” concerns the Coatesville City Council meeting of March 27, 2006 when in my opinion Carl Chetty was thrown out of City Hall. Robert Henson interviews Carl Chetty and Marc Hargraves:

http://www.box.net/shared/e5xnrdf5u2

If there is any problem with posting this let me know. I don’t know if 1420 AM exists in Chester County right now. I really miss WCOJ.

Was Ernie Campos at Chetty Builders Headquarters in December of 2005?

Ernie Campos, He is adding a correction to the minutes of the RDA meeting of June 19, 2006:

Mr. Campos said, “Mr. Pawlowski asks Mr. Campos if any one accompanied him to a meeting with developers, da, da, da, da. That was clearly stated that was prior to Mr. Campos being an RDA member. “

When Mr. Campos spoke about a meeting with developers that occurred “prior to Mr. Campos being an RDA member” was he referring to an alleged meeting with Marc Hargraves at Chetty Headquarters in December of 2005? Did Andrew Lehr, Bob Saucier and Pat Sellers accompany Mr. Campos when he “met with a developer”? Was a sum of money discussed? Was Patsy Ray referred to as a “bag lady” at that alleged meeting?
Listen to Mr. Campos at the RDA meeting:

June 19, 2006 RDA meeting minutes:
“Mr. Pawlowski asked Mr. Campos if any one accompanied him to his meetings with the developer prior to his appointment on the Redevelopment Authority. Mr. Campos stated he met with them.”


John Pawlowski was not the only person to ask about Mr. Campos meeting with developers.
"Mr. Dixon asked Mr. Campos if he had met privately with the developers. Mr. Campos stated he had in an effort to understand their problems before his appointment."


Did the meeting with developers that Mr. Campos mentioned have anything to do with this?

The two important lines in Allen Davis’ article below are:

“acting on the advice of city Solicitor Andrew Lehr”
And; “I just hope they aren’t trying to strong arm us,”

“Coatesville council puts Chetty development on hold, by Allen Davis-Staff Writer 8:00 am., 28 March 06:

“The meeting had only begun when Council Member Patsy Ray moved to table a resolution that would have granted Chetty approval for Tower 1, a 60-unit condominium, to be built on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and East Lincoln Highway…
“I move that we table it…until we have more information, ‘said Ray.
Chetty, who was sitting in the audience, immediately stood up to address council, but was gaveled down by Council President Kareem Johnson. ‘Excuse me sir, but you will have to have a seat until we come to the public comment period, ‘said Johnson.
Council then voted 4 to 2 to table the project which had already won approval from the city’s Redevelopment Authority and the city’s Planning Commission. Afterwards, Chetty and several of his staff gathered up a model of Tower One covered in white plastic and left the meeting.
Johnson said he wanted to vote in favor of the project, but was acting on the advice of city Solicitor Andrew Lehr who said there were problems with some of the language in the resolution…Chetty, speaking to reporters in the parking lot outside of City Hall, said he has tried to communicate with council, ‘They don’t return our phone calls or answer our emails,’ he said.”
‘Our patience is wearing thin… I just hope they aren’t trying to strong arm us,’ said Chetty of the four new council members who took office. ‘We were all on the same page until the last election.”
ChesterCountyReporter.com:
http://www.box.net/shared/uuukr2f5j5

From the Daily Local News:
Council puts condo plan on hold
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2006/03/28/frontpage/16386544.txt

That decision to table Chetty Builders caused delays that led to the loss of financing for the Pennock Place building. The lot is still empty today.
Pay to play or extortion is a crime when money changes hands. I believe that it is also a crime when a threat is made, no money changes hands and the threat is later carried out for non-payment.

Hopefully, the FBI and Chester County District Attorney’s investigation will answer my questions. Who knows, maybe it's already on the pile.

Coatesville City Council reviewing LEGITIMACY of the SPECIAL MEETING on December 23rd-CHETTY CONTRACT

The Coatesville City Council is reviewing the legitimacy of the special meeting that was called on December 23rd for the approval of the Chetty Contract for the "Flats" development. Was the meeting appropriate according to the Sunshine Laws and the Coatesville City Charter?

From the Daily Local News December 28, 2009:
"At a Dec. 23 meeting, City Council approved the agreement of sale with an addendum. The meeting began at 5:30 p.m. and lasted about five minutes."

The tiny ad that appeared in the December 22nd Daily Local News had to be placed before the RDA public meeting on December 21st. Why didn't Coatesville City Manager Harry Walker state that a special meeting of the Coatesville City Council would be called at that RDA meeting?

Karl Marking Vice President of Coatesville City Council speaking at the meeting.
Listen Here;
http://www.box.net/shared/zy575invaq

If City Manager Harry Walker wanted to push through Chetty's flats development before the end of the year there could have been a regular City Council meeting on December 28th. Was the meeting on December 23, 2009 held because of the article that ran in The News Journal, Wilmington, DE on December 27th?
In part the article states:

"Chetty Builders Inc. and its subsidiary The Promenade LLC, are under investigation by the Delaware Attorney General's Office. Carl Chetty would not say why customers' money has not been refunded, but he renewed a promise to repay them. Chetty wrote in an e-mail that he hopes to finish the project someday."

Delaware towns: No home, no refund, no hope
Dozens seek money sunk into Middletown project

BY GINGER GIBSON • The News Journal • December 27, 2009
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091227/BUSINESS/912270371

Concerning Chetty Builder's contract

Check out Matt Baker’s and Karl Marking’s blogs. It concern’s Chetty Builder’s contract:

Matt Baker

http://bakerforcoatesville.com/matts-blog/

Coatesville City Councilman Karl Marking:

http://www.karlmarking.com/2010/01/06/my-top-10-priorities-so-far/

Why was Chetty Builder's flats plan pushed through?

There is a regular scheduled Coatesville City Council meeting on the 4th Monday in December although it is usually canceled unless there is a pressing need to meet.

If City Manager Harry Walker wanted to push through Chetty's flats development before the end of the year there could have been a regular City Council meeting on December 28th.

I couldn’t understand why Walker pushed the approval of Chetty’s flats development through just 2 days after the RDA meeting when there could have been a regular meeting just 5 days later.

Matt Baker has a good point. Maybe the meeting was not held on December 28th because this article that ran on December 27th:

Delaware Online
Delaware towns: No home, no refund, no hope
Dozens seek money sunk into Middletown project

BY GINGER GIBSON • The News Journal • December 27, 2009
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091227/BUSINESS/912270371

In part the article states:
"Chetty Builders Inc. and its subsidiary The Promenade LLC, are under investigation by the Delaware Attorney General's Office. Carl Chetty would not say why customers' money has not been refunded, but he renewed a promise to repay them. Chetty wrote in an e-mail that he hopes to finish the project someday."

Matt's blog post is here:
http://bakerforcoatesville.com/2010/01/oops/

The Redevelopment of Coatesville has begun.

 

In spite of the Walker Administration’s foot dragging Coatesville is getting a hotel. The earth is moving for the Marriot Hotel land and the Brandywine Riverwalk has begun.

Redeveloping Coatesville will eventually bring a gross reduction of illegal drug sales in Central and Western Chester County.

I believe that we had political resistance to the redevelopment of Coatesville from those who benefited from the drug business here. Political resistance from those on the take from the drug business is fading and the advocates of Coatesville’s redevelopment are beginning to take root.

I don’t know if Mr. Jaramillo’s projects will turn out exactly as proposed but I do think they will be successful. He is at the ground floor of the development of the last large municipality in Chester County that has not had a major redevelopment. And I think Coatesville will soon be the hot spot in development on the RT. 30 corridor.

We are still in the biggest recession since the Great Depression but Chester County and Southeast Pennsylvania did not sink very much into that recession. I think this area will also be one of the first areas in the USA to begin recovering. That recovery may have begun.

Because of its location along the RT 30 corridor between Exton and Lancaster; Coatesville is in the path of development. The transportation options of a major rail line, a business travel airport that will soon have direct international capability an option for a second North to South passenger rail line and short links to interstate highways make Coatesville unique in Chester County.

The Coatesville Police Department has already recovered from the Legree/Matthews days and the streets are safer here.

The new government taking over in January only has to implement the internationally recognized plans and vision for Coatesville set in motion by the Janssen/Krack Administration, Bart Blatstein, Carl Chetty and Don Pulver. And hire a competent City Manager to bring those plans to life.

Once the drag of the drug business stops and the pressure from legal business takes over; Coatesville will be in position to be the business and cultural center of Chester County. Mr. Jaramillo did indeed make a good investment.

Coatesville can be the major international business spot in Chester County. It can be a smaller version of the Manayunk/Conshohocken area with easy access to rail and road transit and office to aircraft 10 minute access to international business jet travel.

Daily Local News
Developer thinks Coatesville is diamond in rough
Published: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/12/09/business/srv0000006994554.txt

Progress on the Coatesville Courtyard Marriot Hotel and Brandywine River Walk

 
 
 

Here are three views of the work now in progress at the site of the Marriott Hotel in the City of Coatesville. The truck is moving earth from the Marriot Hotel site to the site of the Brandywine River Walk in Coatesville on the former Carlson Steel Company. The trucks will be moving the earth from the Marriot Hotel site to the Brandywine Riverwalk site for about two weeks. The trucks come down and back First Avenue about every 5 minutes. I couldn't get in a good position for a photo of the Brandywine Riverwalk Site.

"Governor Rendell Breaks Ground on $36 Million Hotel, Office Tower; Says Coatesville's Revitalization Underway"

COATESVILLE, Pa., Dec. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Coatesville's ongoing revitalization will be strengthened by the construction of a new hotel and office tower, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today while helping to break ground for the $36 million project.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/governor-rendell-breaks-ground-on-36-million-hotel-office-tower-says-coatesvilles-revitalization-underway-78592602.html

At Saturday’s ceremony Rendell mentioned that there was originally $4.5 Million in grants. It's now $3.5 Million. So we kind of owe you a million, Ha, Ha.
I think this was a dig at Coatesville City Manager Harry Walker for letting about $1 Million in grants expire. Harry looked a little embarrassed at the time.

As far as I could tell the only Councilperson elect invited was Jarrell Brazzle.

INVITATION - 2010 URBAN CENTER REVITALIZATION PLAN UPDATES

Monday November 30 2009 - 2:00PM City Council Chambers - One City Hall Place - Coatesville PA

You are cordially invited to attend a public information meeting specifically relating to the proposed City of Coatesville 2010 URBAN CENTER REVITALIZATION PLAN UPDATES.

The Department of Community Development (DCD) administers the Community Revitalization Program. The Urban Centers Revitalization Planning program is one element of Chester County's Landscapes 21st Century Fund. Urban Centers are required to review update and expand Action Plans within the Urban Center Revitalization Plan (UCRP) and relate to Chester County's initiative to revitalize its urban landscapes. Urban Centers must review and if warranted update and expand the action plans of the UCRP. Urban Centers must identify UCRP accomplishments with particular emphasis on results achieved through Community Revitalization Program funding.

The meeting will focus on revising and expanding high priority actions. Consistency with the UCRP identified set of goals and objectives for the four key topics of economic development housing infrastructure and transportation and public facilities and services will be discussed.

http://dsf.chesco.org/planning/site/default.asp

If you build new sewer systems, developers will come.

That’s the common wisdom and it’s usually correct. Because the economy might not come back for a few more years development might be deferred but it will come someday.

If you could carefully go from one farm or rural property to the next and talk to their owners you might find that many of them have some sort of arrangement like a “right of first refusal” with a developer. You might even find that some operating farm land is owned by a real estate speculator or developer. I think that will be the case anywhere within 10 miles of Rt. 30 between Coatesville and Lancaster.

The type of development in our farmland and fields has usually been single family homes. I’m not sure that there will be home buyers that need or want a single family home with 4 or more bedrooms. An average family of 2 adults and 2 children is long gone. The primary reason the turn from large families to small families is that it is now very likely that children will survive their parents. A majority of homeowners and renters in Chester County have no children and the baby boomers are looking to downsize.

Projected demographics for southeast Pennsylvania point towards more people looking for townhome or condominium design homes with minimal upkeep by the home owner. They will pay more for homes that have short access to public transit, shopping and entertainment.

The only wild cards in the demographic deck are new immigrants. They may want to buy single family homes designed for families with children or they become “Americanized” and decide a large family is not needed. Immigrants are significant. Pennsylvania has a mostly constant number of residents for several decades. Without immigrants Pennsylvania would have lost population numbers. Another possibility is that improved economies and opportunities may draw immigrants back to their native countries.

There is an alternative to building houses on farmland; that is utilizing existing municipalities. For instance, Coatesville already had the water and sewer capacity for 20,000 residents before Pennsylvania American rebuilt its sewer plant. Coatesville now has about 11.000 residents. Coatesville has an Amtrak Station and will have SEPTA train service with a planned extension of the R5 Line. That’s room for new homes for about 9,000 baby boomers and young professionals without children. The existing single family homes in the countryside that the baby boomers don’t need or want anymore could be purchased by those immigrant families looking for a home with room for a family. I only know about Coatesville but I believe that other established municipalities have room for condo and townhome development for baby boomers and young professionals.

Right now most of the undeveloped land in Chester County that is flat or cheap to develop has a "right of first refusal" or is already owned by a real estate developer or real estate speculator. If we do not utilize our existing municipalities for new development, the rolling countryside of Chester County will be only be seen in photographs in history books.

If you think our little communities and their part time attorney can stand up to the area wide, nationwide and international property owners (developers) and their squadron of attorneys and a deck of Commonwealth Laws stacked in the property owners (developers) favor; I got a bridge to sell you.

Sewage plant raises sprawl fear
Conservancy lobbying against expansion of facility
DAILY LOCAL NEWS
Sunday, November 29, 2009
By ANNE PICKERING, Staff Writer

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/11/29/news/srv0000006918242.txt

Vertical Landscapes

Another way for cities to incorporate natural systems into structures, Vertical Landscapes:
http://www.vertlandscape.com/home.html

Office Hotel Complex on 1st Avenue (Rt 82) in Coatesville "on hold"

"Elsewhere, things are slow. Oliver Tyrone Pulver Corp.'s planned Seven Tower Bridge in West Conshohocken, and its hotel and office complex in Coatesville, are 'on hold' and waiting for more financing, according to Barilotti."

Philadelphia Inquirer
Monday, July 20, 2009
Slow times for union building fund

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/51225277.html

Coatesville unanimously approves Chetty and Mosaic developments for brownfeild sites in Coatesville

The Coatesville City Council unanimously approved Carl Chetty’s plans for the north side of the bridge on former steel company property in Coatesville. There was no opposition to Chetty’s plan by City Solicitor Andrew Lehr like there was in March of 2006.

The Coatesville City Council also unanimously approved Mosaic Development Partners LLC’s plans for the former steel company property south of the bridge.

Carl Chetty is a builder with a very long track record of successful developments.

Although Smallwood-Lewis and Reaves have experience working for a developer; Mosaic Development Partners LLC has no experience building anything. The two people that make up the company once worked for “The Goldenberg Group”.

Did they just decide to start out big and stumbled upon Coatesville? Or did they know someone in Coatesville? Did they know people in Coatesville through Smallwood’s former co-council on the case she was disbarred for; Attorney Michael Whitlow?

Whitlow had a law office within a 3 minute walk to Coatesville City Hall. Whitlow passed away in October of 2007 but was very much alive when he was Smallwood’s co-council. Whitlow was also one of the regulars in State Rep. Hennessey’s office "City Hall East" and a very big supporter of the Walker Administration.

“The Mosaic Flats Redevelopment Concept Plan” was created on May 30, 2008

Mosaic Development Partners LLC was created on July 7, 2008.

Mosaic Development Partners presented their “Flats Redevelopment Concept Plan” to the Coatesville RDA on July 21, 2008.

A copy of the “Mosaic Flats Redevelopment Concept Plan” dated "30 May 2008" is here:

http://www.box.net/shared/l4brrbca1c


The only information about Mosaic Development Partners anyone can find is a 4 page website, http://hstrial-greaves1.homestead.com/contact.html some things they presented here in Coatesville and their company:

“Mosaic Development Partners, LLC, Democratic Republic of the Congo (offshore registry) Created on July 7, 2008 at;
4950 Parkside Ave
STE 506
Philadelphia PA 19131


All of the “experience” they talk about is with their former employer. They have no letters of recommendation from anyone employed by their former employer “The Goldenberg Group”. Did they leave on good terms?

And they do have possible connections to some of the city council members and city administration through Whitlow. Even if Mosaic does nothing with the property it may be worth a lot in a few years.

I think the best hope we as Coatesville residents have is that Chetty Builders will make a go of it and Mosaic will be dragged along. At the very least the site may be left a little easier for some company to develop.

There are three letters of recommendation for Leslie Smallwood-Lewis and
Greg Reaves here:

http://www.box.net/shared/zi4pxou2ps


They gave a printout of this article to those at the Coatesville City Council meeting:
Friday, December 9, 2005
State backs retail center plan
Boost for long awaited West Philly project
Philadelphia Business Journal - by Peter Van Allen Staff Writer

http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/12/12/story1.html

There was also a copy of an Inquirer Article about “The Fresh Grocer” in West Philadelphia with no mention of Leslie Smallwood Lewis or Greg Reaves.

There is a Philadelphia Inquirer article not concerning Mosaic Development Partners but another company with little experience that started out big:

Developer leaving a legacy of failures
By Alan J. Heavens
Inquirer Real Estate Writer
Find this article at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20090531_Developer_leaving_a_legacy_of_failures.html

The Coatesville City Council may make a tremendous mistake tonight.

In my opinion voting for the Mosaic Development may result in a monumental scandal.

The Agenda for tonight's Coatesville City Council Meeting is here:

http://www.box.net/shared/l25nijr8zg

See previous posts concerning Mosaic Development Partners and Leslie Smallwood.

PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE IN CHESTER COUNTY PA CAN SAY: WHAT RECESSION?

Check out the Associated Press Economic Stress Index measuring economic stress by county in the United States Interactive Map.

You will see that Chester County, PA has one of the very lowest Economic Stress numbers and lowest unemployment numbers in the United States.

It helps you understand why Chetty Builders feels that they will have no problem selling their condos here in Coatesville, Chester County, PA.

It’s crime keeping people away from Coatesville; not a recession. If Coatesville was not drug trafficking central for Chester County, PA the real estate market here in Coatesville would be in HOT.

And, demographics show us that the hottest portion of the real estate market for decades to come is the condo-townhouse market for Baby Boomers and young people starting out. The McMansions may turn out to be “white elephants” in the real estate market.

Chetty is a very well respected experienced builder who is still making money is an over all depressed economy. Bart Blatstein is a very well respected experienced builder who is still making money in a depressed economy. They are both interested in Coatesville…Mmmm

Some Samples from the AP INTERACTIVE MAP:

THE NUMBERS FOR CHESTER COUNTY, PA are

"AP Economic Stress index 6.65
Unemployment 6.1%
Foreclosure 0.21%
Bankruptcy 0.38%"

Just a few samples from places you might know:

Sacramento County, CA
"AP Economic Stress index 16.58
Unemployment 11.3%
Foreclosure 4.44%
Bankruptcy 1.58"

Bucks County, PA
"AP Economic Stress index 8.73
Unemployment 7.5%
Foreclosure 0.69%
Bankruptcy 0.64"

Westchester County, NY
"AP Economic Stress index 8.30
Unemployment 7.2%
Foreclosure 0.79%
Bankruptcy 039%"

San Diego County, CA
"AP Economic Stress index 12.97
Unemployment 9.3%
Foreclosure 2.87%
Bankruptcy 1.21%"

Have some fun checking out the Associated Press Economic Stress Index Interactive map at:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/interactives/_national/stress_index/index.html?SITE=YAHOO&SECTION=HOME

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

It was Bart Blatstein that first realized the potential of the large tract of new undeveloped land in the center of Coatesville created by the brownfeilds that were then becoming available.

The assets of Coatesville are:

• A large tract of undeveloped land on one of busiest intersections in Western Chester County

• Easy access to major North and South and East and West Interstate Highways.

• A mid size airport with international capability just outside the city limits

• Coast to Coast Amtrak service at the Coatesville train station

• Much lower costs for property and lower construction costs than Philadelphia

• A small city of nearly 11,000 with the infrastructure already in place to accommodate a city of 20,000 residents

• Rolling bucolic countryside partly occupied by a group of extremely affluent people just outside of the city limits.

• Last but not least a city with a “sense of place” where you wake up in the morning look out of a window at the hills and homes and know exactly where you are. Something that Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Dean of the Miami School of Architecture said was “to die for”. See the “Coatesville Charrette Report and Urban Design Plan":
http://www.box.net/shared/4g292ny6nn

Bart Blatstein was the person who got the other developers thinking about Coatesville. He was the man whose interest in Coatesville inspired Baker Properties to purchase land in Coatesville right out from under another developer during the three days that he was getting funding together. And Baker sealed the deal sight unseen from New York City.

Bart Blatstein brought other developers to see Coatesville as a gold mine for development. The youth of Coatesville also saw possibilities for a future Coatesville as a place to go to instead of a place to get away from. But the downtrodden older residents of Coatesville saw no possibility of change and were even uncomfortable thinking about change. And maybe most importantly some of the more bigoted residents in nearby townships could not see any possibilities in what they considered a “black” city. They even had their zip codes changed so that Coatesville would not be a part of their address.

Plans for the revitalization of Coatesville once lined the meeting room at City Hall. As recently as a month ago, I overheard City Council Members at Coatesville City Council meetings talking about those plans for Coatesville drawn up by Bart Blatstein’s company; "Tower Investments". They talked about the crazy absurdity of something like that being built in a poor run down town like Coatesville and what a sham artist Bart Blatstein was. To this day the mention of Bart Blatstein among some members of the Coatesville City Council will bring derogatory comments for his “off the wall unrealistic plans for Coatesville”.

I remember how Bart Blatstein was pilloried with shouted cat calls by "bloc of four" supporters when he talked about his plans at Coatesville City Council meetings. I remember how Bart Blatstein was vilified and treated as a liar and fake by the "bloc of four" supporters. The shouted out mantra of the “bloc of four” supporters was; "IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN HERE".

It looks like the "bloc of four" came through on that promise.

They drove Bart Blatstein away from Coatesville.

Check out what could have been. Check out what Bart Blatstein did in a section of North Philly that was once much tougher than what we have in Coatesville:

"Friday, May 8, 2009
Piazza opens in N. Liberties
$100 million project creates a destination
Philadelphia Business Journal - by Natalie Kostelni Staff Writer

For nearly a decade, developer Bart Blatstein has coddled, envisioned, worked on and tweaked his bold plans for Northern Liberties. Now, at a cost of $100 million, he is completing one of the most integral parts of his vision for the Philadelphia neighborhood.

Called the Piazza at Schmidt’s, it is the second of three phases of Blatstein’s overall redevelopment plan for the area surrounding the former Schmidt’s Brewery at 2nd Street and Girard Avenue. There his company, Tower Investments, has assembled more than 100 parcels totaling 28 acres and invested a total of $150 million since he embarked on refashioning the neighborhood beginning in 2000.”

More at:
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/05/11/story1.html

Tower Investments website:
http://www.towerdev.com/