Council Members,
The future of Fire Station 16 is planned to be on your work session agenda on Monday November 15, 2010 and our Coastal Venture Properties submittal will be discussed.
Since our submittal on October 22, 2009 we are pleased to say that our Team members of Perdue Farms, Hospitality Entrepreneurial Institute (UMES) and Pete Roskovich of Black Diamond Catering are all still on board with the project.
We formed our team around the idea the City of Salisbury, Urban Salisbury and University of Maryland of the Eastern Shore created in 2008 which is driven from both the Regional Urban Design Assistance Team study completed in 1980 and the Hyatt Palma study completed in 2001.
This project is a step toward downtown’s vitality, having a true impact on the City of Salisbury; thru partnerships with the Palmer and Bradley Gillis, University of Maryland of the Eastern Shore, Perdue Farms, Black Diamond Catering, City of Salisbury, Urban Salisbury and other local organizations and business. Offer a hospitality experience thru education that is unparalleled.
Our team of experts in real estate development, education, business and hospitality show our commitment to the long term success of this exciting project. We firmly believe our team has the well-known financial stability to carry this project thru concept to conception. The team has a proven track record for establishing successful ventures and we look forward to working with the City of Salisbury on the unique opportunity.
We will restore and reuse this historical valuable downtown building by creating a regional self-supporting, hospitality destination located in the Heart-of-Delmarva, Salisbury Maryland Downtown, similar to the space and agreements made for the Regional Art Institute and Gallery facility located at 212 West Main Street in the Plaza Gallery Building.
These strategic partnerships will transform the firehouse into a sustainable multi-event venue for the citizens of Salisbury. University of Maryland of the Eastern Shore students and Black Diamond Catering will host local causes and groups. The building will be home to events such as shows, banquets, wine tastings, dinners-theaters, non-profit events (Life Crisis Center and the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce have already hosted events), community group meetings, and local governmental meeting.
Synergy with local hospitality establishments will enhance the image of downtown Salisbury by adding pedestrian movement of downtown.
This city owned property will be transferred to the tax rol ls and amusement, personal property taxes will be contributed to the city’s and county’s coffers. Also the project will have 3-5 apartments on the second floor. This project truly implements the vision of the City of Salisbury, live, work, play, DOWNTOWN and is a step toward downtown’s vitality and having a true impact on the City of Salisbury.
Bradley Gillis
36 comments:
This plan is a joke and so is Brad and Palmer Gillis. Funny how Brad's name is in the mix now so that Palmer's doesn't constitute a "conflict of interest" with his former position on the city council. I will submit to you that this property will be granted some kind of tax exemption and the city and county coffers will never get the revenue.
Isn't Brad Gillis and Doug Church buddies?
Follow the money.. right up the street.
Urban Salisbury, an offspring of The Greater Salisbury Committee is involved in this.
I'm sure they're calling the shots. Wasn't Palmer Gillis on the board of Urban Salisbury?
Why don't you join the Greater Salisbury Committee, Joe? You're a wealthy business leader, forward-looking.. very actively promoting the downtown area, a property owner/taxpayer.
Then, maybe they would be able to see that an offer of $250K in cash is way better than 100-150K.
Good ole Salisbury... never missing a chance to "fix" things for the betterment of the community.
To say these people are experts in real estate is an gross overstatement. Brad's firm manages most of the commercial space in Salisbury, leasing signs are on almost every corner with no one leasing. During the last decade Salisbury over built everything and failed to prepare for the downturn of your typical market increases. Now you struggle just keep yourselves from dying. Until Salisbury starts focusing on making this area more desirable to businesses your property values and revenues are going to remain low.
Salisbury has great potential to be a technology/business hub but fails to retain employment sources and a knowledgeable workforce.
It's hard to see if you have blinders on.
No one seems to be paying attention to the primary issue here. ANY buyer looking to develop the old firehouse has a long list of usage requirements and conditions the city council has set up with respect to betterment of the community.
If you disagree with these stipulations vote the council members (ie ALL of them) out who are setting and promoting those conditions, so that all surplus city properties can be sold to the highest bidder for whatever use the zoning allows, for cash on the barrelhead.
The 11:47AM post could not make less sense if it tried.
First when you say "Salisbury" overbuilt who the heck is "Salisbury"? The city, the private developers, the private investors. Who is the magical villian "Salisbury"?
Secondly, while the amount of excess commercial lease space in Salisbury is substantial relative to the ratios in more prosperous economic times, it is miniscule compared to many other areas of the state and country that were massively overbuilt.
Third, while I am not in real estate I provide security services to new businesses coming to Salisbury, and there are plenty of people leasing Sperry Van Ness (and other companies) spaces in the area. Downtown leasing is somewhat slow, but it's always been slow for the 10 years I've been here.
Lastly, and most importantly 11:47AM AKA "Nostradamus", please give us a peek at your powerful crystal ball as you seem to think that "Salisbury", whoever that is, should have been way ahead of Wall Street, the Fed, and the world in general in being able to forsee the real estate bubble bursting.
Who knew we had such prognosticating talent here in Salisbury!
I dont remember that property put up for bid. That would have been the fair way to sell the property..I dont see why the city had to sell (give it away) in the first.
As usual our government knows what is best for us..NOT
When fire stations across the country are sheduled to be closed, the citizens from the neighborhood surrounding the firehouse camp out in front of the building protesting the upcoming closing. The citizens know that response times will suffer because apparatus must travel a longer distance to get to their emergencies.The one thing that was affecting response times to the west side of town years ago was the 2 bridges when they were in the up "opened" position. Now those bridges and other considerations is slowing response times for one of the most heavily populated areas of town. The old Station 16 response area. PRMC, SU and the densely populated Camden area. So maybe, its time to remodel, reuse and reinvest in the lives and property that surrounds the old S-16 Put back firefighters and equipment in the Station. Oh, but that would make sense.
I want to give thanks to the Council for this type of results for Community property. You have proven me right again. The Council knows what is best for "their Community". "Their Community" exist of the "GOOD OLE BOYS". The Tax Payer gets the shaft and they line their pockets. Where is the ethics at. The Tax Payer does not have anyone on their side to investigate the ethics issue. If we did there would be a lot of unhappy Polical people and "GOOD OLE BOYS" because they would be paying back enough to bring Wicomico County and Salisbury out of debt and them in jail for a minimum conviction of misappropriation of Public Funds. Where are the ones that want accountability at? Where are the ones that have information concerning this concern at? I for one would pursue this if the information was to find its way to me. Who else would join me? I will walk the walk not talk the talk and back out when the going gets rough.
The needs of modern fire fighting equipment and the old firehouse are not compatible structurally, or size-wise. The building is functionally obsolete from top to bottom. People who keep insisting on it being a perfect firehouse that should be returned to duty are being delusional.
1:59 said:
I dont see why the city had to sell (give it away) in the first.
I agree. What is a "hospitality destination" anyway? Is that a polite way of saying "thanks for giving it to us for so cheap"?
Is it true there were only two bids on it? Then either keep it or wait until you get something exciting. Just sounds like another giveaway to an "important name" in Salisbury.
i haven't read all these comments nor the whole post. I know that the one thing that is constent is change. My family, the older generation worked out of that fire house all volunteers. What ever they do with the building please find the money to restore and save some of the hertiage that was brought about from the 1st firehouse of salisbury. If i am not mistaken, we got a fire department volunteer when salisbury was burnt to the ground. Someone can correct me on that if i have been mistaken.
Anyway that building holds many memories for many many ppl
Just what Salisbury needs, another food operation in an already over saturated market. I live in Berlin and it seems as though every time I pick up the local paper there is another food server opening up. Most are just barely making it as there are only so many customers to go around. Having been an owner of a dining facility the margins are slim at best unless you are a chain with buying power and deep pockets. Just look at all the failures over the last five years, it's astounding. I say no not another one coming to Salisbury.
Anonymous said...
The needs of modern fire fighting equipment and the old firehouse are not compatible structurally, or size-wise. The building is functionally obsolete from top to bottom. People who keep insisting on it being a perfect firehouse that should be returned to duty are being delusional.
4:09 PM
So tell us Einstein, what are the needs of modern firefighting equipment? Show us how credible and intelligent you are. Please enlighten us on you assessment and do sign your name!!
So a select group of business owner's will get use of a public owned building for free ?
3:59 I'll stand right next to you all the way. The council is wrong on this one. The three know it's wrong which is why tge work session is scheduled while C & C are scheduled not to be present.
You can thank Bill Gordo, Bubba Comagees and Barrie Tilmon for this mess. Someone got to line their pockets with this entire Salisbury Fire Department raping of the tax payers. Jim Ireton is no better, he is right in the middle of it all.
The 2 B's, LMAO.
anonymous 5:15, you need to shut your mouth. To suggest someone else put their name out there, yet YOU don't even offer your own is just plain stupid.
The apparatus floor can still support an engine and an EMS unit.
The building can certainly be remodeled to meet ADA and other mandated codes.
The consultants final report about 8 years ago, called for an fire station on the west side and one up around the Centre of Salisbury.
10 million dollars would have paid for a new station up at the Centre, (which land was going to be donated for) a modest station on the west side and remodeling the old S-16.
From the letter:
"The building will be home to events such as shows, banquets, wine tastings, dinners-theaters, non-profit events (Life Crisis Center and the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce have already hosted events), community group meetings, and local governmental meeting."
If I understand this correctly, UMES will be doing what private sector restaurants do for the most part. Is that right? Or that one privileged caterer will be doing it all.
Goodbye to Escape, Flavors, Market Street Inn, even Brew River.
Salisbury's Hoity Toitys get a building for cheap.
Another developer giveaway. Salisbury has no shame.
You guy's are missing the point here. We have investor's in Salisbury that have CASH and are willing to throw it up in the air and hope for the best on a landmark downtown. Shame on you for discounting what this group is doing, rather you like them personally or not change is not always bad. The fact that they want to preserve this landmark is great. Think about it dollars and cents. They could easily build a shell and develop a new property on one of the many properties these guys own for a fraction of the RENOVATION cost (not including the purchase amount) on this building.
I challenge either one of you to take the PROactive approach these guys are taking and quit the REactive negativity. Instead of complaining about someone wanting to improve downtown how about checking out one of the third Fridays downtown, take a look at the Gallery building (Palmer Gillis fixed an all but condemned building and preserved a piece of our history). As you walk down stop at the old Synagogue building which happens to be JOE ALBERO's building and see another building Palmer Gillis saved / preserved.
Palmer / Brad I don't know if you will read this but if you do please answer, why would ever want to do something like this? I know all to well it can't be for the money considering what you are going to have to put into that building (fire protection, AIA access, health dept compliant food prep areas etc etc). Why not just let the building rot as the city is now and forget about it so the citizens can be happy they got to keep an out dated, leaking and deteriorating old building?
You are all missing the point here. This venture with UMES won't last long. Remember SU tried the catering/restaurant business years ago and the Hotel/Motel Association raised cain. Gillis is going to put 3 to 5 apartments upstairs. When the venture fails, and it will fail, Gillis will then be able to convert the entire building to apartments. He gets an apartment building on prime real estate for pennies on the dollar.
Jim Ireton is a damned fool for even entertaining this offer. $100,000 is not an offer to be accepted on a building appraised much higher.
We thot the bldg "couldn't be renovated".
I thought the mayor was going to put the paid guys back in the old station and let the vollies have the new fire house.
Instead of 5 or 10 people who have a vested interest in creating this "Hospitality Destination" making the decision here, let them make their case to the general public; you know, the VOTERS! If the majority of the property owners (called voters)want to agree to this deal, then so be it! The vote should be between this idea and sold to the highest bidder, free of encumbrances other than existing zoning of the surrounding area. April isn't that far away.
I'm still interested in the answer to the question...how can the city SELL something without using the sealed bid, or at least putting it out for the HIGHEST bid? Isn't that the legal way to dispose of city owned property?
It's about a freebie for local businessmen.
1:35
Maybe if you took an economics 101 course you would fully understand my prognostic view. What goes up, must come down.
Anonymous said...
When fire stations across the country are sheduled to be closed, the citizens from the neighborhood surrounding the firehouse camp out in front of the building protesting the upcoming closing. The citizens know that response times will suffer because apparatus must travel a longer distance to get to their emergencies.The one thing that was affecting response times to the west side of town years ago was the 2 bridges when they were in the up "opened" position. Now those bridges and other considerations is slowing response times for one of the most heavily populated areas of town. The old Station 16 response area. PRMC, SU and the densely populated Camden area. So maybe, its time to remodel, reuse and reinvest in the lives and property that surrounds the old S-16 Put back firefighters and equipment in the Station. Oh, but that would make sense.
2:13 PM
And the city or the new moron fire chief can't use the excuse that Station 2 or Station 1 can handle those calls downtown or the Camden area. They have depleted an entire paid fire crew on duty during the day. The volunteers can't handle the calls during the day and they are constantly scratching or not getting out at night. Not only is the bridge up all the time, but the traffic is to congested and the traffic is gridlocked blocking in fire trucks and ambulances. People have already died because on no emergency responders getting to the scene in a timely manner. The fire department and the city won't release this information either because they have over $14 million dollars invested in the new station.
It is a fire station and it needs to stay a fire station!!
Please kindly put this at the top to remind the tax paying citizens that enough is enough.
1:33 IMO it is too early to call the new fire chief a moron. In fact, if people would stop with the name calling and stop being so judgemental, and start working together this world would be a better place.
If UMES does get in there, the business probably will not fail, as we taxpayers will pick up the loss year after year.
6:07 PM you obviously don't know the new fire chief. Keep your opinions to yourself then!
6:07 pm that guy you are defending has some serious personality issues. He has already started attacking firefighters for no reason at all. Some are speculating this guy has some mental issues.
I hate to say it but anything UMES touches turns to crap so I don't see how this is going to "better" the downtown area.
1:35 - A lot of us knew the real estate bubble was going to burst because we knew it was a fake bubble to begin with! Property values don't rise like they were rising.
Anyone watching the market with ANY common sense knew something was definitely off kilter.
Too bad you didn't see it coming too - guess you were sleeping.
It is a fire station and it needs to stay a fire station!!
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