Peanut
12-29-2006, 09:28 PM
http://www.news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=90692
The city of Syracuse was determined to teach Pyramid companies a lesson in 2006. The first centered on a new financing plan that the city says failed to meet its requirements and, in effect, cancelled out a tax deal it had struck with Pyramid in 2002.
“We filed this lawsuit because the promises with regard to those contracts and that legislation were violated,” Robert Smith, Pyramid attorney said last January.
A judge said the city got it wrong. While holding open its options for an appeal, the Driscoll administration launched new talks with Pyramid -- talks that resulted in a new arrangement between all sides. All that was needed was approval by the common council. But it was there that a new snag developed.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Lessons of Destiny
It is a project that has taken many forms in drawings released over the years, but a project that remained stalled through much of 2006. News 10 Now's Bill Carey takes a look back at a year that found Destiny USA languishing in the courts.
“When will we ask this developer to make good on the many promises he had made --- and stop playing with the emotions and the hopes and fears of the good people of our city,” Tom Seals, (D) Syracuse Common Councilor said this past June.
“This agreement effectively says, take $360 million and hope that the developer will do something,” Stephanie Miner, (D) Syracuse Common Councilor, said in June.
The council hoping to teach a lesson of its own, voted to reject the deal. Mayor Driscoll continued his talks with Pyramid, eventually developing a plan to sidestep the need for council action, having the Industrial Development Agency give its okay.
“All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Carried.”
The move, aimed at teaching councilors about the strong-mayor form of government, touched off an intra-governmental war. A city attorney who tried to block the mayor's action was fired. Common councilors battling among themselves hired their own attorney to pursue their own appeal.
In a July council meeting Councilor Stephanie Miner addressed Councilor McMahon saying, “You have decided that you are on Mr. Congel's side and the mayor's side when they hold press conferences and announce these kind of things.”
Councilor Ryan McMahon responded saying, “I'll determine what side of the argument I'm on, not you. Okay?”
“At some point someone has to agree to take the high road here and to stop. And to stop this insanity,” stated (D) Common Council President Bea Gonzalez.
In September the state appellate court decided the council was wrong. The appellate court justices also taught some tenants of Carousel Center their own lesson. That eminent domain was a powerful tool that could remove some lease rights to allow the project to go forward.
The court battles did end up stretching a deadline for the start of work on the project into 2007. Twelve months did little to turn steel to jobs. But it did leave us with important lessons.
Pyramid Companies' new deadline for the sale of bonds and the start of construction work on the mall expansion is March 15th, but there is an incentive to get going earlier. Each month the bond sale and construction are delayed, Pyramid must pay the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County a million dollars.
Watch the News clip, Very well put together.
The city of Syracuse was determined to teach Pyramid companies a lesson in 2006. The first centered on a new financing plan that the city says failed to meet its requirements and, in effect, cancelled out a tax deal it had struck with Pyramid in 2002.
“We filed this lawsuit because the promises with regard to those contracts and that legislation were violated,” Robert Smith, Pyramid attorney said last January.
A judge said the city got it wrong. While holding open its options for an appeal, the Driscoll administration launched new talks with Pyramid -- talks that resulted in a new arrangement between all sides. All that was needed was approval by the common council. But it was there that a new snag developed.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Lessons of Destiny
It is a project that has taken many forms in drawings released over the years, but a project that remained stalled through much of 2006. News 10 Now's Bill Carey takes a look back at a year that found Destiny USA languishing in the courts.
“When will we ask this developer to make good on the many promises he had made --- and stop playing with the emotions and the hopes and fears of the good people of our city,” Tom Seals, (D) Syracuse Common Councilor said this past June.
“This agreement effectively says, take $360 million and hope that the developer will do something,” Stephanie Miner, (D) Syracuse Common Councilor, said in June.
The council hoping to teach a lesson of its own, voted to reject the deal. Mayor Driscoll continued his talks with Pyramid, eventually developing a plan to sidestep the need for council action, having the Industrial Development Agency give its okay.
“All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Carried.”
The move, aimed at teaching councilors about the strong-mayor form of government, touched off an intra-governmental war. A city attorney who tried to block the mayor's action was fired. Common councilors battling among themselves hired their own attorney to pursue their own appeal.
In a July council meeting Councilor Stephanie Miner addressed Councilor McMahon saying, “You have decided that you are on Mr. Congel's side and the mayor's side when they hold press conferences and announce these kind of things.”
Councilor Ryan McMahon responded saying, “I'll determine what side of the argument I'm on, not you. Okay?”
“At some point someone has to agree to take the high road here and to stop. And to stop this insanity,” stated (D) Common Council President Bea Gonzalez.
In September the state appellate court decided the council was wrong. The appellate court justices also taught some tenants of Carousel Center their own lesson. That eminent domain was a powerful tool that could remove some lease rights to allow the project to go forward.
The court battles did end up stretching a deadline for the start of work on the project into 2007. Twelve months did little to turn steel to jobs. But it did leave us with important lessons.
Pyramid Companies' new deadline for the sale of bonds and the start of construction work on the mall expansion is March 15th, but there is an incentive to get going earlier. Each month the bond sale and construction are delayed, Pyramid must pay the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County a million dollars.
Watch the News clip, Very well put together.
