The lowdown on the Pitts hotel deal

A lot of folks have been scratching their heads the past few weeks over the city's selection of a waterfront hotel project fronted by former Common Council Member James W. Pitts. On the surface, the competing proposal from Ciminelli Development had a lot more going for it, which prompted Donn Esmonde to criticize the decision and characterize the winning proposal as "something that belongs next to a Thruway off ramp." He echoed a common sentiment.

The city desk asked me to look into the deal, which I report on in Sunday's Buffalo News.

Long story short, there were problems with both proposals and the way city development officials managed the selection process. The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency could have rejected them both and started over. But Mayor Byron Brown was determined to go with the Pitts project and muscled the proposal through BURA. He appoints most of the board members and got his way.

For now, anyway. It's likely the Council is going to reject BURA's decision.

A lot of folks think the decision was political, and perhaps it was. But Pitts and Brown were not buddy-buddy when they served together on the Council, so I'm not so sure politics is at the root of it.

Me, I chalk it up as yet another example of the dysfunction that plagues economic development efforts, not only in Buffalo, but across the region. Brian Reilly, the city's economic development chief, has some good ideas on correcting the city's development process, but he didn't exactly distinguish himself on this project.

   

Comments

[enoughalready]

There were three responses to the RFP. The third by a Florida group for an office building was later withdrawn. LaRiviere also doesn't connect to downtown.

So any talk about the Brown Admin. backing down and re-doing this mess?

[The Gadfly]

First of all, I am stunned that this blog is not overflowing with irate comments from Buffalonians. I am sure that if there were an artilce of similiar import about the Bills or Sabres, there would be a lake effect storm of messages.

The Ciminelli/Pitts debacle is but the most recent example if how incestuous Buffalo politics is. The best interests of the people be damned.

If the Common Council cannot summon the votes or cojones to defeat Mayor Brown and his cronies, we the people need to take legal action.

Thank God that we have investigative reporters or the Pitts sham might never have become known,

[wondering]

Other than corruption, what explanation could there be for the behavior of Brown and Reilly? I don't have any evidence of corruption, so I'm not saying there was any, but what's any other explanation?

Their decision, and the way they pushed for it, seem so bizarre. Maybe Reilly was just being a good political soldier and following Brown's orders. But what was Brown's motive of choosing such an inferior option in such an odd manner?

[enoughalready]

You don't need to wonder, wondering. Politics! Pitts the hot-headed former councilman pulling favors from Brown and Co. Their proposal is laughable and they can spin it any way they want- look at the two finalists- any thinking person wouldn't pick the Wingate over the Ciminelli submission. And since when is Pitts a developer? Please. Call the FBI.

[Celtic Tide]

Really funny that Pitts stayed out of the mayoral race last go around, huh? And then to have his sub-par plan chosen....hmmm. There will be a lawsuit, teflon byron will deny and hopefully we'll get some blagojevich of our own in buffalo. Well, you'll have it, I left long ago when Clinton came to town, I just had enough.

[charles randolph]

What have Ciminelli & Hamister done for the economy of Bflo. or the WNY region?

The reality is that they have gotten richer & controlled more land, and while that has happened the City & the region has continued to decline and become poorer. These two companies and the people they represent (gang of 18) have prospered while our region has, and continues to decline. While they would like to make the procurement selection "process" and/or the persona-non-grata (Pitts) the issue, what is unmistakenly clear is that just like the myopic logic our small-picture ethnic groups (none excluded) these people will do everything in their collective (local) "power" to ensure that "... if we can't have it, then we'll will make sure that nobody has it". In other words, these people and their confederates will do anything that they can to keep another corporation (Wingate) from becoming a competitor in this region.

That company (Wingate) could be a competitor who would hire locals who are not "friends" of the group that the confederates represent. A new company could bring, attract and/or make it more probable, for new and different corporations to bring their people, ideas and success to this region. These actions would be (contrary to the C&H interests) good for Buffalo and the Western New York region. However, since it is contradictory to the pecuniary and political interests of C&H, they are pulling out all of their collective "stops" (the evil J. Pitts) to ensure that the subject project does not happen.

Consider some facts: Ciminelli got the Bflo. schools job (billion dollars) and had minimal comparative experience & was the least qualified competitor for that job...Hamister wanted to "buy" the Sabres but only if the "taxpayers" contributed. The history of those projects stand for themselves. They reflect our area and the "companies" that bid to perform them.

The politicians????...Well what can we say abvout the array of "buffons" that we have fostered. We already know they are "bought & sold". They have little or no integrity. If they did, why does this City & our region, continue to decline while they are in office??? Something is seriously wrong there.

From a pure procurement process, it appears that the C&H proposal was "non-responsive" at the time of submission. As such, it could have been thrown out. Why wasn't it?

Equally important is the role of the city's "economic development chief". He has yet to show or tell us, with specificity, "what economic development programs or projects" he fashioned, developed, negotiated and/or implemented" that benefited the City of Cleveland or the folks of Cuyahoga County. Absent some evidentiary data, he appears to be simply a propogation of more of the same.

Finally, the BN. What can we say about an archane institution, with good staff & sound reporters, but an editorial board whose interest seemingly lie (by what they approve for publication) in the furtherance of the "status quo"???

At the end of the day you have the under-exposed & avaricious class,(1) excoriating the same process that they used to gain control over wealth and land (that they are clueless about what to do with) and power (i.e. responsibility) over what happens in the City & the region, seeking; (2) to eliminate competition with a proven track record & the ability to attract outside interest in our area and positively impact our economy; (3) being aided by a media organization who has done little to promote (but much to denigrate) our area since it became the "only newspaper" in town; (4) utilizing the same procees that they have had the advantage of for a period of 3 + decades to ensure the maintenance of the status quo.

Let's hope that at the end of the day, we get new "players" across the Bflo economic landscape because then and only then will we, as a City and a region, be able to take full advantage of our geographic position, medical research capacity, education-&-skilled work force and diverse population, to revitalize our economic base and re-establish ourselves as a regional & international economic participant and contributor to the worlds economy.

Hey, who knows? If we begin to face the truth about our collective condition here, we may someday soon be able to have our children and grandchildren living here with us to enjoy the "benefits, values and mores" of a solid home town, with good people...and not have to come from somewhere else, to enjoy it just for a holiday visit.

[whendoesitend?]

The redevelopment issue just reeks of corruption. However, the current Ciminelli schools project must be leaving a bad taste in the mouths of our leaders with added costs and at times shabby work. But to award Pitts is not the correct alternative. Scrap both and look at other proposals. Can't someone in City Hall do homework? Maybe there is another city that has done something right. Perhaps we should find out and repeat. Sorry, I forgot for a second we are in Buffalo. Built a Skyway, the 33, Scajaquada Exy.(poor Joe Ellicott), fumbled the Dome downtown with greed, destroyed downtown with the trolley, can't build a bridge, and now having difficulty putting a hotdog stand on the waterfront. But I have hope cause I know Bass Pro will ride up on it's horse and save it all!!!

[whendoesitend?]

The redevelopment issue just reeks of corruption. However, the current Ciminelli schools project must be leaving a bad taste in the mouths of our leaders with added costs and at times shabby work. But to award Pitts is not the correct alternative. Scrap both and look at other proposals. Can't someone in City Hall do homework? Maybe there is another city that has done something right. Perhaps we should find out and repeat. Sorry, I forgot for a second we are in Buffalo. Built a Skyway, the 33, Scajaquada Exy.(poor Joe Ellicott), fumbled the Dome downtown with greed, destroyed downtown with the trolley, can't build a bridge, and now having difficulty putting a hotdog stand on the waterfront. But I have hope cause I know Bass Pro will ride up on it's horse and save it all!!!

[whendoesitend?]

The redevelopment issue just reeks of corruption. However, the current Ciminelli schools project must be leaving a bad taste in the mouths of our leaders with added costs and at times shabby work. But to award Pitts is not the correct alternative. Scrap both and look at other proposals. Can't someone in City Hall do homework? Maybe there is another city that has done something right. Perhaps we should find out and repeat. Sorry, I forgot for a second we are in Buffalo. Built a Skyway, the 33, Scajaquada Exy.(poor Joe Ellicott), fumbled the Dome downtown with greed, destroyed downtown with the trolley, can't build a bridge, and now having difficulty putting a hotdog stand on the waterfront. But I have hope cause I know Bass Pro will ride up on it's horse and save it all!!!

[john]

http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/01/09/who-is-syaed-ali-and-what-did-he-do-to-make-mayor-byron-brown-so-angry/

[Mr.Justice]

http://artvoice.com/issues/v8n3/who_is_syaed_ali