Unanimous 5 – 0 Vote Seals the Vetting Deal to a TDB Outside Firm
In a special meeting of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission the decision to go with an outside firm to handle the vetting of the two proposals submitted to develop a downtown Convention Hotel to serve the Arena and the Centre was finally approved. In a meeting that was attended by all 5 members of the ERC the decision that could have saved the project 3 years of delays if it would have been made in 2008 when Mayor Weinzapfel announced the intentions of Browning of Indianapolis to build a 4-Star Hotel in downtown Evansville was finally adopted.
In an article reported first by the City County Observer, Mr. John Kish the project manager through an Indianapolis attorney from the firm of Bingham McHale recommended outside vetting and followed that with a long list of consultants that are interested in providing that service. One of the firms charges $350 per hour to provide such services.
It was also asserted that the response by Prime Lodging does not technically conform to the RFP because there is a discrepancy in the forgivable amount of the city’s loan package. It was also acknowledged that the bid by the Kunkel Hotel Group has not yet been confirmed to conform to the RFP.
Bob Goldman, the president of the ERC confirmed with Mr. Kish and legal counsel that it is not necessary to choose either of these proposals if neither vets properly. It was also pointed out by counsel that 30 days after the responses have been opened that it is legal and within the authority of the ERC to enter into negotiations with either firm and to deviate from the terms of the original RFP. The date to begin such negotiations if that it indeed the necessity will be August 19, 2011.
In a meeting that proceeding as rapidly and as scripted as a one act play public input was not solicited and in many ways blunted. City Councilman John Friend was the only person other than the actors in the theater to get to the lectern advance the candidacy of Evansville native Vince Lopez who has served as a senior vice president for his entire career as a good choice to conduct the vetting. The candidates for vetting seemed to be very Indianapolis centric while Mr. Lopez makes his offices in Florida.
The Kunkel Hotel Group had notified Mr. Kish via amendment that they had completed their financial underwriting process but the documents stating as such were not made available to the media.
In many editorials the City County Observer has advocated for outside vetting to assure that the job was done professionally and without any local bias. Today that editorial advice was finally adhered to by the City of Evansville, the Redevelopment Commission, and the Department of Metropolitan Development.
