That "pre-lease" stuff froze me in my tracks. I recall that in the 210 Trade big bankruptcy SPLAT Flaherty-Collins had in beautiful downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, over 200 consumers reportedly were left holding the bag, stung to the tune of $7.3 million dollars, cold cash, that went somewhere but was not returned as if it were earnest money. Ouch. Somebody got away with the money - it had to go somewhere when not returned back back to those condo pre-purchase victimzed folks.
That is not a Minnesota nice -- Ramsey - Live Here, Work Here, Play Here kind of Twin Cities Metro thing we here are aiming for; (although that awful Feges-speak slogan admittedly went out with ACE, in yesterday's trash - replaced by "the COR" so you decide). Still consumers taking a $7.3 million hosing, it's not for Minnesota, north metro, south metro, anywhere metro... We do have some sense of disdain, here in Ramsey.
Moving on - In terms of what the cat dragged in, Darren recruited an admitted out-of-town owner's rep and "Development 101," guru - another Mike:
But wait.
There's more. The nation's premier Owner's Representative firm, no less, they tout that:
They kind of look like a bunch of geeks to me, but I'll take their word for being nation's premier owner's rep persons, all that.
So, what is an owner's rep firm doing taking money from Ramsey (correct me if that is untrue and I am mistaken, and Ramsey's not directly or indirectly paid citizen tax and/or reserves money to Greeby) and bringing in a crying-towel deal where bright-boys Flaherty-Collins expect Ramsey to take a multi-million dollar second position to make a bad deal "work?."
That does not seem to be municipal representation, suggesting that as a credible deal without breaking into a chuckle; and leopards allegedly do not change their spots. Generally, you are what you say you are, what you have a record of so saying - and does anyone reading this have any idea whether Flaherty-Collins has been paying Greeby and if so when and how much?
My understanding is owner's reps don't rep for nothing. Generally, they are paid.
By project owner-developers. Not cities. Cities that don't own the deal once/if it is ever built.
Finally, I promised you schlock, and you tell me, is this or is it not Schlock [yes/no with a capital "S" schlock]; and it's not Minnesota schlock - we do have local consultants - but it is schlock highlighed from around the nation as something of which this nation's premier owner's rep firm is exceptionally proud:
Is that schlock, or what?
___________UPDATE___________
For those who might care, with regard to that last image on that page -- the actual Rialto, in Venice; this Google. I'd guess someone from Venice, with sensibilities, might want to stab to death anyone calling that ugly tacky box in Florida "The Rialto." It is like comparing the Pieta to a parking meter (both start with "p").
Wasn't it Darren, who was saying "upscale?"