A news release from Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation indicates that, as rumored here, the Wolf Building in Easton now has a KOZ designation. Until the year 2023, the owner nd tenants at that site will be exempt from virtually all but federal income taxes.
Northampton County's agreement to sell the Wolf Building to developer Mark Mulligan was contingent upon that designation. Now that it's been granted, he has no wiggle room to demand a lower sales price.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
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Friday, December 06, 2013
47 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
Oh but he will get it. The argument to sell based on getting it "on the tax rolls" was bullshit. Once again the taxpayers were lied to.
ReplyDeleteNobody was misled. The taxpayers were told from the onset that a KOZ was being sought, and it was voted on by three different bodies of government. You could have spoken there, but would have had to identify yourself and face scrutiny. This wil go on the tax rolls in 2023.
ReplyDeleteBy then it will be abandoned and deserted. This was a harebrained scheme pulled by the Stoffa hacks.
ReplyDeleteAnother remnant of Stoffa and his crony Karner. Good luck, Bobby D.
Fuck that, charge him more...
ReplyDelete@ 907...
ReplyDeletewhy all the Karner hate? You do realize she had nothing to do with this project-it was all the exec and KM. and it's actually a pretty good project.
I'm just perplexed by the anti-karner venom. I guess in-bred, sister-loving knuckledraggers gotta spew vile at something.
Great........
ReplyDeleteSal Panto says:
ReplyDeleteWhat all the cowardly naysayers fail to realize is that these are tough projects, heck if ut was easy all of the developers in the suburbs would be in the city, Did you ever wonder why?
Real estate taxes are but one benefit from these urban projects. The city will realize additional development because these big projects are completed; the city will have additional residents spending money in the city and those businesses will therefore pay more in business taxes; and many other ancillary benefits. And the good news is that we get to increase our resident wealth without gentrification.
I;ve watched this blog over the last few days and the cowardly attacks on people who work hard for our region, the cowardly false accusations about failed deli and barely getting through college is rediculous. For the record our grocery store meat market was very successful til the day we closed and the reasons for closure is a real shame and happens to alot small businesses when their fully paid mortgages, never missing a payment is sold to a liquidating company but that story is too complicated to explain to simple minds. As for my college experience I pride myself on several honor rolls and a GPA at graduation that allowed me to be accepted into the Lehigh Universiy Masters program without taking the GRE.
And I fully understand and acept the fact that I am a target but you cowardly spineless bloggers keep my family and professional associates of the city and county out of it. They are intelligent, dedicated professionals that are very loyal to the regional quality of life and work hard every day to improve the lives of all residents.
Lastly, I don't have the time to refute all of the half-truths and total fabricated stories told here so I ask the readers to keep an open mind when reading these cowardly posts. For example several individuals talked about the $2MM RCAP on Pomeroys and the $7MM RCAP on Silk. First of all it was $3MM on Silk and all were received by the city not the developer long before MArk Mulligan became the developer of both --- and I should add the SUCCESSFUL developer. His projects have all exceeded all projections. I thank him for choosing Easton. Oh by the way, none of his permit fees were waived for Pomeroys or Cheeburger Cheeburger.
Some people refuse to accept the reality that Easton can no longer be the whipping post of the valley. We are working hard to not rest on our laurels and we have the staff and volunteers who will take us even higher. Just today we had more than 5,000 people attend the opening of our Winter Market in the former Weller Center. Several said to tear down 118 and 120 Northampton Street which have been vacant and blighted for decades. The KOZ now makes that project happen with a developer already to do the project saving two historic buildings and bringing more people into our city to live, not just visit.
Sal, I thought you were the Mayor, not Mulligan. As Easton regularly does, you have tied yourself too closely to the opera singer. Let me add it doesn't matter whether the RCAP money come before or after Mulligan, it came and he benefited from it. You waived permit fees for him at one eatery while requiring it for others. You are playing favorites. That silk mill project, for example, could easily be divided among several developers. While he is getting tAx breaks, employees at the courthouse are struggle to pay your commuter tax. The wealthy gets special concessions while the working poor get screwed.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I still support the KOZ to bring more rich people into Easton. What I do not support is the unhealthy relationship that Easton officials, including you, have with this guy. I resent your violation of county law to get an assessment reduced at Wolf while another Easton developer gets hosed the same day.
You were elected to represent the people of Easton, not a Flemington developer.
I just noted your remark that permit fees were not waived. I have it on good authority that they were, but you have always been honest with me and I will accept that. I will discuss this with my source.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIf Mayor Panto is transparent enough to come on this blog to explain the City's position, I will tolerate no anonymous cheap shots. Identify yourself and take responsibility, or crawl back under your rock.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDo you hate opera singers? I am am opera singer. You state your favorite music is baroque. This guy went to the top school in the world and appears to be successful at both opera and developing. What are you successful at? Being a hypocrite? Apologize for the opera comments and stop making them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete"This guy went to the top school in the world and appears to be successful at both opera and developing."
ReplyDeleteWhat he is successful at is singing for public money.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAll together, the city has won about $4.5 million in grants from the county, state and federal governments for the project, Panto said. ''Not one city tax dollar has gone into this project to date,'' he added. (I doubt this but maybe city staff hasn't spent time on it. Maybe the developer is paying the planning fee's and permit fees.) Meeting minutes show the City paying fees of Code Master for Simon Silk Mill. So the city is paying for it.
ReplyDelete+ 1.5 million from U.S. Department of Commerce. That is 6 million dollars total + purchase price of $960,000. Plus I think you can argue that a portion of the money spent on the trail went to benifit the project. So regardless, you should correct yourself Mayor.
Actually, $960,000.00 was just for the moon property. I think they spent 2 million on the rest from that reator from bangor. It went to federal court.
ReplyDeleteI've just been forwarded an email in August from Mayor Panto to a constituent in which he acknowledges that permit fees at the Cheeburger were reduced. To me, that is pretty much the some thing as forgiving them. It creates an uneven playing field. Was a reduction offered for Sharbel Koorie's new restaurant?
ReplyDeletePermit fees for a cheeseburger joint is nothing compared to millions in funding. Easton should have waited until after notification of the KOZ before starting that work taking place now at Silk Mills. If Silk Mill project was a go before the KOZ like they claim, they may have been able to take allocated funding and moved it to another project. Does the KOZ make the property more valuable now? Should now not be the time to seek out developers?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Bobby D's cohorts they tried to snag Panto's ED person only to find that they can't afford her as her Easton Salary is more than Kelly's current salary. Donny C. found out the same thing when he was recruiting.
ReplyDelete Code Master – The budget includes an increase to reflect project large payments
ReplyDeleteassociated with the Silk Mill and City Hall projects.
From Page 55 of the City Budget. No City Funds are being used to pay for that project?
EASTON:
ReplyDelete101-4500-4122 ECON DEVELOPMENT SALARIES DIRECTORS/SUPV $82,951.00 Wage & Benefit Calcs
BETHLEHEM: (From LWVLW)
Community & Economic Development: ($92,114) Joseph Kelly
Cleary Bobby D's cohorts can't do math.
But that is only one of her paid gigs. She is also paid by two other entities and reputedly earns somewhere around $110k per annum.
ReplyDeleteBO, is that legit?
ReplyDeleteNo it is not. All this insider crap is what turns people off to government. Just shoe them the money!
ReplyDeleteBO - I'm not sure your info is correct here. She is like 40th on the list dude.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2013/02/easton_police_top_city_pay_lis.html
What a lot of folks are forgetting is that since this developer has gotten all the tax breaks for two major projects in the city; the rest of the residents will be paying for it. Any time the city raises the millage this guy won't have to worry. techically the residents of the city are subsidizing his development. Glad i'm not a resident of the city --the city with the highest millage rate in the county and that which will go higher to subsitized the tax exempt construction thats currently going on or will be going on.
ReplyDeleteAgain so many half truths where do I begin?
ReplyDeleteBOH, you claimed that the fees for Mulligan were reduced and that was not true. The tenant build out fees were reduced for the tenant and that was because after the ET ran the story about Cheeburger coming to town and all of the cowardly bloggers went on Lehigh Valley Live to blast the franchise and saying no one is going to pay for their $8 hamburger. I met with the corporate Vice-President who was brought in by the owners, Frank Aversa and John Jandl and explained to him how our blogs worked here and that if people are willing to pay $10 for a martini why wouldn’t they pay less for a burger. We in turn agreed to reduce the tenant build out fees as encouragement. Today they are averaging 4,700 customers a week with disposable from as far as 50 miles away.
Anonymous said...
All together, the city has won about $4.5 million in grants from the county, state and federal governments for the project, Panto said. ''Not one city tax dollar has gone into this project to date,'' he added. (I doubt this but maybe city staff hasn't spent time on it. Maybe the developer is paying the planning fee's and permit fees.) Meeting minutes show the City paying fees of Code Master for Simon Silk Mill. So the city is paying for it.
+ 1.5 million from U.S. Department of Commerce. That is 6 million dollars total + purchase price of $960,000. Plus I think you can argue that a portion of the money spent on the trail went to benifit the project. So regardless, you should correct yourself Mayor.
3:00 PM
No need to correct myself ANON. Grant awards total well over $7MM on a $75MM project. Staff time is spent on all projects, services and programs we deliver to our residents - true. Code Master is a third party provider for the city and their cost is passed onto the developer. Several quote Sharbel’s project on the 600 Block of Northampton Street. (A great place by the way that you all should visit and patronage. Good food, good service and locally owned.) Since he is a city employee the city retained Code Master to avoid the appearance of a conflict and those fees we could not pass on to the developer so maybe that is where the confusion comes from. Those figures were north of $10k.
You also mention the EDA grant and the sale price and the Karl Stirner Arts Trail. I will totally agree with you and have publicly stated that the city paid entirely too much for the vacant property and some money from the trail was diverted to purchase the mill. But that was before my time. When we took office we set out to get the project done. Like my development days I knew that no developer would take on this massive project because of the due diligence dollars required. Therefore the grant money went to acquisition and making the property attractive to a private developer. (The Karl Stirner Arts Trail was just awarded another $75,000 state grant for its extension the trail is not being neglected.) Grant money paid for the purchase, the master plan, engineering survey as to the structural stability of all the buildings, soil, lead and asbestos remediation and the construction of the new public access boulevard and infrastructure. The developer will be spending approximately an additional $70 million providing hundreds of jobs, and new residences and businesses to our city.
So in the end, while your bloggers like to post inaccurate “facts” we are moving forward with a plan to make Easton more attractive to residents and businesses. We are doing better than all of your naysayers would like and that bothers them. They are negative people with a jealous streak and cowards in the fact that they like to post as ANON. Well ANON, if you want the facts we are a public entity. Every dollar is accounted for and we are fortunate to have residents that aren’t happy with the status quo and are working to build a better city – economically, socially and culturally.
NOTE: Forgive me Father for any typos. UNIVERSITY
What a lot of folks are forgetting is that since this developer has gotten all the tax breaks for two major projects in the city; the rest of the residents will be paying for it. Any time the city raises the millage this guy won't have to worry. techically the residents of the city are subsidizing his development. Glad i'm not a resident of the city --the city with the highest millage rate in the county and that which will go higher to subsitized the tax exempt construction thats currently going on or will be going on.
ReplyDelete9:40 AM
What you may be forgetting is that real estate taxes have not gone up in Easton since I took office nor will my administration be benefitting directly by these projects with increased real estate taxes. But as I say, we make our decisions for the long term not a political term. These are good for the city and will help to attract additional residents and businesses to our city. Maybe you would rather see them vacant and blighted but we wouldn't.
NOTE: Forgive me Father for any typos.
I DID NOT POST THE ABOVE COMMENT AT 9:40
ReplyDeleteWill Mayor please correct BO on the Salary issue?
ReplyDeleteMr. Mayor,
ReplyDeleteSeems like everything posted was factual. Fee's were waved or reduced and he got a tenant, correct? The city spent $7mm of grant money on the mills and they are giving it to him. What isn't factual about that? No one stated anything differently. $7mm worth of improvements were done to the property and he is being given it. Or is he paying for them? Please correct if this wrong. As for the city paying for fees? Why wouldn't the city just charge the developer for the fees now. Why must it come out of the city coffers first, why is it in the budget? Something doesn't sound right. Maybe the city is paying the fees for the public infrastructure phase you write about.
Say what you want but you will never find us Anonymous coward bloggers holding public meetings and skirting the rules to benefit a private developer. So we are cowards - what does that make your redevelopment authority chairman? And you will certainly never find us defending something that appears to be inappropriate. Everything that was said here was true. The only item not backed up by facts is the salary question and that's on Bernie.
ReplyDeleteSal,
ReplyDeleteLet's get this straight. I said the permit fees were waived. You denied that and I believed you bc you have always been honest with me. Then one of your constituents sent me an email from August that was with you, in which you indicate that the fees were reduced.
Here is your email, word for word:
"no, not all fees were waived for cheeburger cheeburger.
A small reduction was given to get them to open in Easton."
Now you come on here and say the permit fee was reduced, nit for Mulligan, but for the tenant, and bc of cowardly bloggers.
That's ridiculous, Sal.
I am glad you did not give Sharbel a waiver, incidentally. That was not my point. My point is you create an uneven playing field. And now your usualclear logic seems to have flown out the window. Comments on LehighValley Live or here, made by anonymous assholes should not be the basis for government action. If that were so, you should be dropping the commuter tax, too.
9:23, I will get the correct information via RTK, which I will be filing. As I indicated, there is a salary from Easton, but there supposedly is also salary or stipends or some kind of compensation from two other entities.
ReplyDeleteI thought salaries and stipends had to be vetted in public?
ReplyDeleteBernie, An IMPOSTOR POSTER has signed in as Sal Panto,Jr. This action sidesteps anything seen here . Has this ever happened before?Now this is a deliberate attack on a public servant and the public itself.Also Mayors errors in spelling are most likely do to the fact that his fingers are bigger that his phone,and he does not sit still long enough to boot a regular computer.I can't use that reason myself.Don't forget your blog is where we get the news two or three days in advance of the lazy newspapers and it helps us know-it-all's otherwise. Can you fix that? Might have something off subject you would like.County business!
ReplyDeletePeter,
ReplyDeletethere has been no imposter. Sal, at 9:43, is responding to a comment at 9:40 and quotes it. Then he comes back to make sure everyone is aware those sentiments at 9:40, are not his. He is just trying to be clear.
But to answer your concern, there are times when he has been impersonated, and if that happens, I take down the comments when he tells me about it.
It is very rare for an elected official to come on a blog, where there are a lot of anonymous cowards, to defend his policies. I give Sal a lot of credit for that, even when he and I are on different sides of an issue. I will always support Sal bc he is transparent, is trying to turn the City around and has had lots of success. But I do not blindly agree with him on every point.
Nice ass kissing there Peter.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to re read it. And last post You must not know me or you assume I'm kissing ass....If you knew me,well.. you would not assume!My observation of people is what it is and people of luminary positions usually spell check.I see lots of people weekly and I pick up on" personal broadcasts"like which wrist they wear a watch on and what kind it is for example.Sorry if you got the wrong message.
ReplyDelete"which wrist they wear a watch on and what kind it is"
ReplyDeleteVery strange. Are you gay or something?
Anon ;6.22,You are defensive, yet law of probability suggests your would be a victim of an assault easily.Now this blog is not about me ,but bigger issues.But I will tell you and then close. In past occupation like auto possessor, bail bondsmen ,process server, absence of demeanor could get me hurt at o- dark;30.observation is important. One example ,the watch tells the hand, opposite that may draw a firearm,exception being if they own a Rolex submariner for example 42mm or larger bezel they would have it on the right hand anyway,because the stem will irritate the left posterior lunate or the muscle of hand if placed in horizontal surface in a motion like getting out of a chair. Here is one for you ,go to the court house on a rainy crummy day and watch men caring umbrella's like old ladies do. Ask if they were ever in the marines? Report your findings.Gotta go out now.AND I SIGN MY NAME .
ReplyDeleteSorry James Bond. Of course you are a secret agent. Isn't everyone now a days? Gotta go and get my night vision goggles ready for my special ops.
ReplyDeleteAsk another internet tool about what I just said. You guys are hilarious. Watch much television?
Your AN PBS -4s will not help your impatience ,they will become "birth control glasses.But,improve your appearance in public.
ReplyDeleteCareful, Peter. You know why old men walk bent forward? They are ready to shoot poison darts out their asses at you.
ReplyDeleteYou would know that if you attended a gay pride event and talked to the Retired gay marine contingent.