By Antonio D. French
Filed Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 7:51 AM
PUB DEF EXCLUSIVE Labels: BJC/Park_Deal, Exclusive
Following meetings with representatives from BJC, Citizens to Protect Forest Park, the Aldermanic Black Caucus, and other interested parties, Comptroller Darlene Green believes that a deal on the proposed BJC expansion plan may be reached as soon as Friday. That's according to a source in the Comptroller's office and someone who attended a meeting last night at which Green defended her position.
The meeting, which took place at the Gateway Classic Foundation, was hosted by former Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr. and political consultant Walle Amusa. The topic was the BJC expansion plan. Most in attendance — including St. Louis American publisher Donald Suggs and St. Louis Argus publisher and MOKAN executive Eddie Hasan — blamed Green and Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury for killing a deal that would have meant hundreds of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in new construction.
We're told that many were surprised when the Comptroller herself arrived at the meeting. She was not an invited guest, but she took the opportunity to defend her position and reveal details of her ongoing negotiations which, she says, will lead to a better deal.
Click here to read our earlier story.
UPDATE 1: The Board of Estimate & Apportionment will be meeting today, but the BJC deal is not on the agenda. However, Pub Def has learned that a special meeting has been scheduled for Friday as well. At that time, it is likely that an agreement will be passed by the three-person body.
UPDATE 2: Walle Amusa, the longtime political activist and professional consultant who organized last night's meeting of African-American leaders, tells Pub Def that he accepts full responsibility for not inviting Green to the meeting.
He says the plan was for the participants to meet first to come to a consensus on what benefits to the black community they wanted to see from the BJC lease agreement. Then representatives from the group were to present those things to Green today.
Amusa said that when Green arrived unexpectedly she was still warmly greeted with applause.
"I want to thank Darlene Green for showing up and participating," said Amusa. He said he also wanted to thank the many other people that attended the meeting with less than 24 hours notice, including (in addition to those mentioned above) License Collector Mike McMillan, soon-to-be-alderman Marlene Davis, former Comptroller Virvus Jones, and others.
Amusa also added that the consensus he wished for was not difficult to reach. He said that on the first vote, there was unanimous support from the group for the BJC expansion deal as negotiated with the Aldermanic Black Caucus.
14 Comments:
The deal was never dead, BJC has way too much invested in this area. Green is wisely pushing for more from deep-pocketed BJC.
2/21/2007 8:19 AM
I'm just curious...in the post someone is quoted as saying that this deal will mean hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in construction. As I understand where things stand right now, BJC has stated that they do not have any immediate plans for this parcel of land. So, when and where are these supposed jobs and construction dollars coming from? Does someone have a crystal ball and are they certain that 1 year ,2 years, 10 years 50 years down the road that something is going to go on that land for sure?
2/21/2007 8:48 AM
And she's making the mayor and aldermen look pretty bad, since they were all willing to jump on the first offer so desperately.
2/21/2007 8:49 AM
This would leave Shrewsbury as the only nay on E&A. It is not his position that the deal was not good or that it needed improving. He has the take no responsibility position, let voters decide. He cannot change his mind.
2/21/2007 9:15 AM
She blinked.
2/21/2007 9:58 AM
Shrewsbury has repeatedly indicated he was against the deal on the basis the public has been against the taking of park land in the past. Of course, this debate has to do with this piece which is not perceived as part of the main Forest Park. Given that, perhaps Shrewsbury is right that the public over the past few decades has been against developing or taking Forest Park while being off the mark in this case.
This is part of why we have a 3-member E&A. Slay wsa ready to sign the first deal last year --- hardly wise. Shrewsbury has remained against the deal citing citizen opposition while Green has been seeking a just compromise. As I see it Green is being the best public servant, Shrewsbury at least has a potentially valid argument and Slay was ready to cave to BJC on day one.
But it is Shrewsbury that is up for re-election so he is the one taking the heat. Had he given the mayor his second and voted with him most likely people would have found a reason to blast him --- probably for being inconsistent. It could have been said, had he supported the deal, that he was against it all the time but in a heated election flip flopped to save his job. I have to respect him for standing firm on his decision despite the politcal pressure to do otherwise. I certainly respect Comptroller Green for her efforts to broker the best financial deal for the city. And Mayor Slay, well...
2/21/2007 10:10 AM
Let's stop the apologizing for Pres. Shrewsbury, can we? If he were Mayor, what would he have done differently?
The fact is, Slay is Mayor, his team led the BJC effort in its early stages. Darlene weighed in to strengthen the plan.
And Shrewsbury has done nothing except to wet his finger, stick it in the air, and hope to get 28,000 votes for his re-election bid from all the "No-To-BJC" petition signers.
If this deal happens, Slay will take heat, Green will take heat, and Shrewsbury will be positioning himself as the lone progressive looking out for the little people.
2/21/2007 10:22 AM
Urban Review is right. The best thing Shrewsbury could and should have done was to provide a little leadership by doing what Green is doing to find a compromise. She beat him to the punch on that. Shrewsbury's real downfall on this has been that rather than try to work out the deal so everyone is happy, he used this issue and the people that care about it to try to court the 28th and 17th ward endorsements, but it didn't pay off. Not very smart...and shows weakness of character.
2/21/2007 10:26 AM
Darlene Green was sitting at the table from the beginning or have you all forgotten. She could have come up with this proposal from the beginning and she played politics to try and look like the hero!
What took her so long to examine the deal and find the gaps? She has an attorney on staff in her office. Maybe she doesn't work enough hours in her office like Jim Shrewsbury. All Darlene Green has done is cost the city taxpayers money by holding up a decision that could have been made a long time ago if she was doing her job right.
I hope that Lyda Krewson stops being a chicken and steps up to the plate to run for Comptroller. Darlene Green needs to go as well as Shrewsbury, and Lyda Krewson is way more qualified. She just needs to re-examine the posibilities. Lyda Krewson for Comptroller has a nice ring to it.
Darlene Green is not a hero, Darlene Green is a zero. Darlene Green needs to go and she will not win re-election if the people of St. Louis are smart.
Once again, Lyda Krewson for Comptroller!
2/21/2007 11:21 AM
--Once again, Lyda Krewson for Comptroller!
I have never heard about Lyda Krewson groupies?
Do yall call yourselves the Krewson Krew?
Happy Mardi Gras, I got some beads from the Krewson Krew!
2/21/2007 11:33 AM
Lyda Krewson? She is married to that racist and biased channel 5 "news reader" Mike Owens that got arrested while under the influence of alcohol while on the job and called the black police officers in the East St. Louis jail all kind of racial slurs.I am sure if she runs against the very competent Darlene Green that her husband will be a serious liability for her ! Why wasn't Owens fired for his behavior against those police officers while working for Channel 5 and on duty?
2/21/2007 11:37 AM
Everyone knows ESL police are in bed with the 2 fox. I would not believe one word from their department. How man people from eslpd have been indicted?
2/21/2007 1:06 PM
I plan on circulating petitions to ban dihydrogen monoxide in the city. I will get more signatures than the parks petition. I will do it in less time than the parks petition drive. I will do it without paying anyone to collect signatures as the parks campaign did. The public who supports this prohibition should be able to count on Shrewsbury's support. And I don't think we should feel obligated to host a fundraiser for him like the leader of the parks petition is doing next week in the county, along with mostly county resident co-hosts.
Alas, Shrewsbury's support for our progressive initiative is not certain. He was the guy, after all, who loaned a great deal of money to the group opposing the 2004 charter amendments by initiative petition and he hand-picked Tom Bauer to chair the Board of Aldermen committee to persecute the leaders of that charter reform drive.
2/21/2007 2:04 PM
It's interesting that only after an extensive poll was taken last week, that the Comptroller decides this is a good deal for the city. I was polled last Tuesday evening, it was long, and exclusively about the BJC deal and the members of the Board of E&A. When I asked who paid for this poll, all they could say is "The city of St. Louis." Hopefully PUB DEF can do some investigating and find out more about those poll results.
2/21/2007 2:29 PM
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