Friday, March 13, 2009

Article About FixWilsonYard Lawyer

There's an interesting bio on Fix Wilson Yard attorney Tom Ramsdell in Chicago Real Estate Daily. Check it out here.

Mr. Ramsdell’s biggest current battle is a lawsuit challenging the city’s use of tax-increment financing for Uptown’s Wilson Yard project. He represents a neighborhood group that says developer Peter Holsten shouldn’t have gotten a $58-million subsidy to finance his mixed-use project on Broadway between Wilson and Montrose avenues.

In a suit filed in December, Fix Wilson Yard Inc. contends among other things that Mr. Holsten’s development could be built without public subsidies. A call to Mr. Holsten, president of Chicago-based Holsten Real Estate Development Corp., was not returned. (UU note: Shocking! Just shocking!)

The Daley administration’s widespread use of TIF money for favored real estate developments has been loudly criticized, but by suing, Mr. Ramsdell is putting his winning streak against the city in jeopardy.

12 comments:

  1. “There’s not a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” says Carl Myers, an attorney with Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc. and a former colleague. “But he’s still kicking the city’s butt.”

    Too early to draft Ramsdell to run for Mayor?

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  2. This whole story is Chip Douglas bait.

    Ramsdell ran for office as a Republican. Chip likely will want to marry him. It's not legal yet, Chippie, give it a few years.

    As for the running for Mayor comment don't give Shiller any ideas. She'll start saying that the entire FWY lawsuit is merely Ramsdell wanting to be Mayor.

    Oh well. Stay tuned boys and girls for the next exciting story in "How Uptown Turns". Next Weeks's episode "How the City that Works Works for Some" starring various Mayoral and aldermanic relatives.

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  3. "(UU note: Shocking! Just shocking!)"

    Call me flabbergasted.

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  4. Too early to draft IrishPirate for Mayor?

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  5. No the City Slogan should be:

    What's in it for me?

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  6. Yo,

    I thank you for your thought, but the only draft I am interested in involves stout beer.

    If nominated I will not run. If elected I will not serve.

    There are others out there better suited to high office. I don't think I could be bribed with money, but give me some alcohol and offer me some woman of ill repute and I might be more corrupt than the current regime.

    At least my scandals would be more fun to read about.

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  7. Isn't Ramsdell the guy who's suing to get the City's landmark building protection ordinance overturned? Sounds like good company for the FWYers.

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  8. What is your comment supposed to mean, madandy?

    IMHO, the landmarks opinion has been grossly misunderstood. Of course cities can have landmark ordinances. The point is that they should have a transparent process in which people with a mix of true credentials serve rather than political hacks who can very easily create a kangaroo court and serve up the appropriate decisions to the lord of the dominion. In addition, landmark decisions should be made using a strict and well-defined set of criteria.

    So, if your comment means that Ramsdell likes to represent people who'd like a fair shake against the Chicago machine, I guess you are right. If your comment means that FWY people are also people who are demanding that their government act with transparency and adhere to clear guidelines and criteria, you are right again.

    People were on board with a mixed-income, mixed-use development at WY. The lawsuit idea only picked up steam and began to happen when it became clear that what they were told was not going to happen. A transparent process wouldn't have resulted in a lawsuit---it would have resulted in a renegotiated plan.

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  9. I just created a new video on the history of the Wilson Yard development.

    Bon apetit!

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  10. Like the TIF process the Landmark process shouldn't even be called a "process".

    Landmarks are a good thang. There need to be some definable standards though. Not just "well I think it should be a landmark because......well just because."

    It's like da mare offering TIF money to the Board of Trade and Merc when they merged. They didn't even ask......he just offered tens of millions of dollars.........

    When you can landmark or TIF just about anything you want that is not a process. It is a recipe for cronyism and corruption.

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  11. Amen, IP.

    I almost forgive you for trying to scare me with a clown sock monkey. Uncool. You really are trying to get subpoened aren't you?

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  12. AMEN, Sister Sassy, and a Hallelujah and Kumbaya to you.

    It's almost too late for them to subpoena me. I'm leaving Uptown for a short while. Hence the video.

    I'm not sure if they know my identity and if they don't I want to keep them guessing for the amusement factor. Probably issuing a subpoena to a guy with a titanium modular lower-limb adaptor(fancy phrase for peg leg) is too much even for them. I don't know though. The whole subpoena thing was so stupid that I wouldn't put almost anything past them.

    I would only do interviews with a crutch nearby, I don't use one, while wearing a kilt. Perhaps I would shine up the leg with some Turtle Wax while being interviewed.

    I'm chuckling at the thought. Then if a city inspector magically appeared I'd chase him down the street with my older peg leg in hand.

    For those of you who may think you know who I am and wonder why I don't limp ask yourselves this one question: "Why does that man never wear shorts?"

    The days of woooden peg legs are long gone. I just read a story about an injured Green Beret, lost a leg, who is now an Army Jumpmaster. That means he still jumps out of planes.

    So now you have to ask yourselves. Is the pirate more than just mentally deficient? Is he an amputee? Or is he as full of "holsten" as Helen Shiller.*

    *in an earlier thread I defined "holsten" as a synonym for dog poo poo"

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