If anyone saw the News-tribune article from May 8th titled “Financing stymies Kaskaskia project” you must have come away with the same thought-Mayor Jeff what were you thinking? In the article it talks about the inability to obtain financing (real shock in this economy!) to proceed with the renovations and improvements to the Hotel Kaskaskia. The bulk of the article deals with the obvious and points out that the private (read local) developers are hopeful they can still move forward soon with the project.
What I find amazing were the comments by our new Mayor Jeff Grove. In the article the paper points out that Grove”s campaign for mayor included his goal of clearing up eyesore buildings from the city and the Kaskaskia project is high on his radar. Grove even states that he has second thoughts on the fact that Blouke Carus purchased the building for a dollar. Mayor Grove states that “for a dollar, I wish we would have just taken it over”
I am fully supportive of cleaning up and getting rid of eyesores in the city. As an alderman I have continually fought to get the old Mathiessen school building corrected or demolished in my ward. But to compare the Hotel and its developers with the likes of the owners of dilapidated rental buildings and abandoned decaying homes is an insult of the worst kind.
I was at the auction the day Blouke Carus purchased the Hotel for a dollar. There were no other bidders present. I thanked him for his willingness to take a chance on developing and renovating the old hotel when no one else would even consider the idea. He has spent thousands of dollars since that first buck was used to purchase the hotel. He has not received a nickel’s worth of return since. He continues to spend to maintain the building while searching for the additional investment dollars to make this dream a reality!
Where did the Mayor think that LaSalle’s taxpayers would find the funds equal to what Mr Carus has invested to date? I am sure if Mr Carus had a crystal ball back on the day he purchased the Hotel and could see where the economy would be today, he might have hesitated to raise his hand at that auction.
I want to list those local individuals currently on the board for the hotel project besides Mr Carus;
Alderman John Lavieri,former Mayor Art Washkowiak, Dennis Clark,Mike Hess,Barb Koch,Pat Barry,Inga Carus,John Chamlin,Norbert Dudek,Helga Interrante, John Piano, and Jim Wikes.
As an alderman here in LaSalle, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued efforts to make this project happen. I also pledge my support in doing what I can to help in any way. I honestly hope that our mayor realizes that he has made a mistake with his comment about the project and truly doesn’t mean to dismiss your work as a failed attempt and that we , as a city, would be better off if you had just said “no thanks” when asked to step up to the plate!
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