What’s the Status of The Harrison? City Council Should Find Out

Posted by Jeff Pruitt - 9/2/08 @ 3:06 am - Filed Under Featured, Local Politics

Remember the May 21st city council meeting where Barry Real Estate addressed the delays regarding the condo development for Harrison Square:

He (Chris Schoen, Barry Real Estate) then went on to address issues of timing. He stated the projected construction period is 10 to 11 months. To hit opening day of the ballpark, it would require a start in the July 1st to August 1st window. He stated that a more likely start time window is August 1st to September 1st.

Well Sept 1st has come and gone so now what? It seems reasonable to me that city council should call Barry Real Estate back to the table and get some kind of public update about how many condos they have contracts on and what the state of their financing is. After all they assured us they would either get the financing or finance it themselves:

If in the end, we’ve only sold ten, we have a contractual obligation to the City. If we have to come up with a way to fund 100% of it, right now I don’t know how I’d do that, but we’re committed to figuring out how to do that.

Show us the money…

Comments

5 Responses to “What’s the Status of The Harrison? City Council Should Find Out”

  1. Fred Rost on September 3rd, 2008 8:03 am

    I hear they are planning a marketing blitz to sell condos. Marketing is not enough.

  2. Karen Goldner on September 3rd, 2008 11:48 am

    I am going to ask Tom Didier about getting them scheduled later in September.

  3. mark on September 3rd, 2008 1:05 pm

    Karen,

    If you would, please see my post on this topic on the “What’s Going Downtown” website. I’m a terrible typist, computer illiterate and often lazy- so I don’t have the wherewithall to repeat it here.

    In a nutshell, I think the focus needs to be on making them build what they agreed to build, not on commiserating about market conditions and applauding new websites.

    Thanks.

  4. Karen Goldner on September 3rd, 2008 2:01 pm

    Thanks for directing me to your comments there, Mark. Your points are very well taken. (And I understand why you didn’t want to re-type them!)

  5. Jeff Pruitt on September 4th, 2008 3:10 am

    Karen,

    Thanks for staying on top of this. I am greatly concerned that Barry Real Estate is going to try and back out of their original deal and I’d like to see them show up and explain how they plan to meet their deadlines.

    The redevelopment department is too cozy with the contractor here - this definitely requires council oversight…

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