A Whopper Of A Deal

I have to tell you, I am a pretty clever BLOGGER. Either that or the Mayor and Council have become so totally predictable.

I actually wrote the following BLOG on March 10 but decided not to post it. I was absolutely right in what I wrote about the outcome. The Motion for rezoning was defeated in the most bizarre of fashions.

The vote was 5-4 to defeat it. However, the Mayor then voted to make it 5-5. That did not change anything because a tie vote under the Procedural By-law means that the Motion is defeated. Why then did Eddie do what he did?

Another interesting point. Dev Tyagi, General Manager, Public Works who was sitting at the front of the Chamber beside Eddie corrected another member of Administration stating that Burger King wanted to move and that it had NOTHING to do with the Tunnel Plaza Improvement Project. I don't understand that remark either.

Hmmmm I wonder if Eddie's vote and Tyagi's remark are somehow connected. I'll let someone else figure that one out

I am sure that there is a story behind this. I will be able to find out what it is once I get my MFOIA records. I'll have it my way after all!

======================================

I am surprised that the Burger King across from the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel still is in business. With all of the Tunnel back-ups blocking their property, I am surprised that anyone can get there during the worst of the tie-ups. They must have lost a lot of money over the years at that location.

It is a no-brainer that the site is needed for the Tunnel Plaza Improvements IF they go forward. That might be doubtful with the huge drop in vehicle traffic, almost 10% last year alone and around 50% since 1999. If we ever have the Tunnel Project Public Open House re-scheduled (postponing meetings is a favourite past time at City Hall it seems), we will see that the BK site has to be expropriated:

• "In the Windsor Star 03-13-2004, the Mayor said
  
  "Dedicated lanes for trucks, commuters and tourists are among ideas for an expanded plaza which could accommodate lineups, he said, without impacting normal city traffic.
  
  Expanding the plaza across Goyeau Street and on to city property such as the former police station, plus obtaining the Burger King and other properties, would allow better access to toll booths for U.S.-bound traffic, he said."

I would expect some pretty tough bargaining for the value of that property and some very high costs that would take a big chunk of the $30M set aside for the project!

The expanded plaza could also be used for reverse customs but let's pretend that we don't know that yet so we can all be surprised when the Mayor announces it one day soon. Remember he mentioned that after the Mackinac conference.

You may recall that in my Municipal Freedom of Information Act application, I asked for the City records:

• "6) All records dated between November 1, 2002 and the current date concerning any plans or proposals respecting the Burger King, Top Hat Supper Club and Bus terminal sites including but not limited offers of purchase and sale, matters involving expropriation, assessment appeals, matters involving land uses such as Drive-throughs"

Of course I have not received them.

The properties involving the Burger King site and the Top Hat site are interesting to me. The Top Hat site might have been used for the new bus termnal except it was not available at the time for the bus terminal site when the City was looking.

In a BLOG, I wrote in November 21, 2005 "Bits and Pieces" I had a brilliant idea for the two property owners:

• "I thought that it [Top Hat site] would be a great location for the Burger King restaurant! Their present location must have suffered after 9/11 and clearly it will be expropriated when the Tunnel plaza is built.
  
  So why doesn't the City expropriate (or buy) the existing Burger King site, move Burger King over [Similar precedents have been set in other expropriations] and then Burger King could use the cash to buy and build at the Top Hat site. All one neat package!"

It looks like something along those lines might have happened from the notice above! Except it must be a private deal with BK buying the Top Hat site directly since they need a zoning change. The Whopper folks would be moving to the Top Hat site provided probably that they get a Drive Through.

Do you think they will get it? They should but....the City needs to sell the old bus terminal site. That was how the City would get back part of its cash for the move to the new terminal. Again, remember my BLOG September 19, 2006 "A Terminally Classic Mega-Project" where I said:

• "Francis said the old bus terminal will most likely be sold. To whom and at what price? (Perhaps Burger King can now move here since their other land purchase deal fell apart) But what if the $800,000 value for Greyhound's land is wrong and less is received. Who makes up the short-fall, the City?"

Is this another charge to the bus terminal project that is only now becoming apparent?

I should hope that Councillors will allow the deal to go through for the sake of the owners of the Top Hat site who have had serious financial problems. It's a chance for them to get their money out finally.

But I can also see the City blocking the BK/Top Hat deal because of the "Drive-through" excuse to force BK to move to the old bus terminal site.

It should be interesting to see what happens.

And if I ever get my MFOIA records, who knows what else I might find to be of interest.