Spokane7
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The Spokane Park Board approved a 50-year lease with Mobius Spokane to build a science center on property north of Riverfront Park.
They did it at a 7 a.m. meeting at Manito Park, but unlike last week’s meeting, this one was open to the public (although not many members of the public were interested enough or awake enough to show.)
Quick details of the lease include rent of $1 a year in exchange for Mobius building the $29.5 million complex. If Mobius develops commercial structures on the property, the city gets 15 percent. Mobius also has to pay $12,500 a year for parking.
The contract has been a cause celebre among some city watchers ever since the board discussed it in a close session at a 7 a.m. session last week. After approving it this week, Parks Director Barry Russell initially refused requests to make the contract public, saying a formal public records request would have to be filed. Assistant City Attorney Pat Dalton quickly corrected that, and supplied a copy, which can be found here.
It’s not the end, because both Mobius and the City Council must still approve the contract, and the latter must apply it’s own scrutiny and hear from the public.
It’s not even the beginning of the end, because after that, Mobius still has about $14 million to raise and a complex to build. But maybe, to borrow from Winston Churchill, it’s the end of the beginning.
Jim Camden is a veteran political reporter for The Spokesman-Review.
Jonathan Brunt covers Spokane City Hall for The Spokesman-Review.
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Ron_the_Cop on August 06 at 7:00 p.m.
Good for you Mr. Camden. I was the other person who turned out early for the Park Board Meeting. I too tried to get a copy of the draft lease and was rebuffed. I did file a PDR expressing my belief this doc was now public as it was the subject of discussion in a public meeting by those members present and action was taken. I too got my copy late this afternoon:
I commented on my experience in your other thread on this topic:
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2009/aug/02/park-board-dawn-patrol/#comments
One thing you didn’t mention is potential Cowles Family involvement. See my post in the other thread re Ms. Anne Cowles and Ms. Wanda Cowles are MOBIUS Board Members and Ms. Nancy Goodspeed, the current marketing and communication director of the Park Board, has a long standing relationship with the Cowles Co and the previous Pacific Science Center Project.
Ron_the_Cop on August 06 at 7:47 p.m.
I should correct the above to say Ms. Goodspeed is the marketing and communications director of the Park and Recreation Dept.
George_Sands on August 07 at 5:19 a.m.
and it shall be known as Riverpark Square 2.0
“what one bunch of fools can do, so can another”
jimc on August 07 at 12:25 p.m.
Mr. Wright,
You are correct that this post, which was filed late yesterday afternoon shortly after we had received a copy of the lease, does not contain some things that you mention, such as the Cowles family members on the Mobius board (or any of the other members). It is a very abbreviated story, with a longer one being prepared for this morning’s paper, which can be found here, http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/park-board-oks-new-contract-mobius/
(as well as the front page.)
Neither mention the board members however, because it doesn’t seem critical to this particular story, which was that the Park Board had approved a lease that they’ve been working on for a while, for a project that has been on the drawing boards for an even longer while, and a concept that’s been around in some form or another for about 17 years. You may find this hard to believe, but no one from the Cowles family suggested to me or my editors that they should or should not be in the story. I made the choice for everything that’s included in the story and the blog post based on my determination of what’s most important for this day’s report, realizing that the space in the newspaper, as is typical these days, is limited.
The newspaper will continue to cover the prospect of an agreement being reached between the city and Mobius. It might be me, it might be Jonathan Brunt, who normally covers City government, but was out of the office on Thursday. In either case, I can assure you that the relationship between a board member and the newspaper, when germane, will be explored and reported without any interference from the Cowles family, who do not dictate coverage and no longer see stories before they are published in the newspaper.
On the other point you mentioned, the refusal of the park department staff to release a copy of the lease, you were within your rights to request it (as was I), and they were wrong to refuse it. It should be noted that Assistant City Attorney Pat Dalton recognized that mistake fairly quickly and told me as I was leaving that he’d make sure it was released on Thursday, as soon as the changes the board had made to a few sections were made in the draft copy. (I believe by that point you’d already left). That’s what he did, and that’s how we got a PDF copy to place on the Web site.
But I do commend you for attending the 7 a.m. meeting and asking for a copy of a public document. Public meetings arguably aren’t public if the public doesn’t attend.
Jim Camden/Spin Control
Ron_the_Cop on August 07 at 12:54 p.m.
Thank you Mr. Camden for your candid response and explanation. I see this as a positive collaboration between your readers and your reporters and not as a negative aspect of the evolving new alternative media e.g., citizen blogging/reporting.
I look forward to further reports by Mr. Brunt or by you on this developing story. Such reporting informs/educates your readers on the important issues of the day. Most people don’t have the luxury of the time to watch those who we elect attend to the public’s business. We must rely on your reporting of these events.
This is crucial to WE THE PEOPLE hold those we empower to govern on our behalf accountable for their actions.
liarsinnews on August 07 at 7:04 p.m.
Mr. Camden, many citizens attended these kinds of meetings in the past but it was proven time and again, their input was ignored. I vividly remember at times, I`d testify and notice city council members visiting with one another during my testimony (not only me). Seemed to me the movers and shakers attended even when the outcome was known, proving to many of us it was merely a facade. If they offered testimony it was usually kudos to everyone involved, good or bad. I witnessed lots of the time, the topic discussed was already a done deal but it felt warm, fuzzy, and nice and/or a photo op.
jimc on August 09 at 1:11 p.m.
Mr. Wright,
While I appreciated your kind words about being a breath of fresh air, I deleted your post with the references to Mr. Shook, his e-mail and his investigative journalism.
I think this thread is about the Mobius contract. Posters are free to make analogies to River Park Square, or any other situation they think appropriate.
But I am drawing the line at you copying and posting Mr. Shook’s take on River Park Square. He is free to express his opinion about this newspaper’s reporting or ethics on his blog, your blog or many other places. He can (and does) post links to his Web site on e-mails he circulates in fairly wide distribution, and you can link to any and all of his pieces on your Web site. I choose not to use this blog for that.
Jim Camden/Spin Control
George_Sands on August 10 at 4:26 p.m.
I want to know if Jim Camden can be a write in candidate for one of the Council Positions?
Ron_the_Cop on August 10 at 8:07 p.m.
LOL Mr. Sands. Perhaps to replace King Joe?
All Hail King Joe!
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/commcomm/2009/jul/29/all-hail-king-joe/
Mr. Camden was kind enough to express his reasons for deleting my post. KIng Joe on the other hand will gavel you down and call in the gendarmes if you protest. I will post a comment later re the deletion of my comment.
Ron_the_Cop on August 12 at 10:59 p.m.
I’ve been doing some more research on the Park Board and the MOBIUS Project. I have since talked with Councilperson Bob Apple who is a member of the Park Board.
I’m still holding my opinion re the worthiness of the MOBIUS Project but I have to admit the new draft lease agreement is a far superior document to its predecessors that essentially gave control of Riverfront Park to the MOBIUS Group.
Read for yourself the first lease agreement:
http://friendsofmarkfuhrman.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/imaging53-clerk-opr-2003-0385.tif
The 2006 amendment to the lease agreement:
http://friendsofmarkfuhrman.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/amend-to-mobius-lease-05-11-06.pdf
And now the new draft lease agreement as proposed by the Park Board as MOBIUS essentially failed to perform on the previous agreements and can be considered void. The new draft lease is much tighter and closes many loop holes but still permits MOBIUS to sublet property for the purpose building office/commercial buildings to generate revenue to support the science center. The City of Spokane will get 15% of any revenue generated from this activity:
http://friendsofmarkfuhrman.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/wright-prr-park-board-ground-lease-agreement.pdf
I will write more later.
Ron_the_Cop on August 13 at 2:36 p.m.
Mr. Camden I’ve posted a new piece on my blog why I think it’s relative at some point to disclose the Cowles family connection with the MOBIUS Project’s Board of Directors. I’ve also included why Nancy Goodspeed’s past relationships with the Cowles Co, should be disclosed too. Ms. Goospeed cs now the now the communications and marketing director for the Park and Recreation Dept. Coincidence?
The Secret Dahlia Society, the MOBIUS Project, and the Cowles family connection
http://friendsofmarkfuhrman.org/blog/?p=154
liarsinnews on August 13 at 8:28 p.m.
It appears to me the speacial interest groups are growing more entrenched then ever before on a science center. All the facts should be covered in the stories so that all Spokanites understand what`s at stake. IMHO, its not being done and the SR seems to be leaving out the facts(censorship) as was done when the River Park Square project commenced.