It’s Park Yes Stadium No. And here is the website: http://www.parkyesstadiumno.com/
City Attorney Rusty Wells, according to PNJ reporter Jamie Page, has determined the former city councilmen Marty Donovan and Jack Nobles have until August 20 to turn in their petition signatures.
The petition states: “The measure we seek reconsideration of is as follows: That City Council approve the Design Build Contract between the Community Maritime Park Associates (CMPA) and Magi Construction, LLC for construction of the Community Maritime Park site improvements and public improvements.”
According to the PAC website, they object to the stadium being in the middle of the maritime park because it “cuts the heart out of OUR Park.”
Of course, they don’t tell the public that the stadium is in the same spot that it has been since 2006.
Here is the conceptual drawing from 2006 and which was part of the Design Criteria done in 2007 – no petition was filed by Donovan against the design criteria in 2007: 2006 Conceptual. The CMPA paid over $1 million for the Design Criteria – which then-Councilman Jack Nobles approved.
Here is the MPDP Site Plan from Dec. 11, 2009. No petition was filed against this either. Neither Nobles or Donovan objected to the placement of the stadium at the hearings on this site plan. It looks like this plan has more waterfront public park area than the 2006 drawing.
Here are the development plans that were presented April 5, 2010 and are the basis of the Design-Build Contract. Donovan and Nobles did not voice an objection over the placement of the stadium then either. See drawings.
I don’t understand why they didn’t object to the stadium placement earlier or at least voice their opinions when the council was discussing it.
But if their overall goal is simply to stop the stadium (not just have it moved on the park site), then why didn’t they start a petition to object to the contract with the Studers and the Pelicans? The city has a legal contract with them and now Donovan and Nobles want to force the City to break the contract.
The motives of the two former councilmen seem less than genuine by petitioning the Design-Build contract after all the bonds have been sold, site plans approved, millions have been spent and contracts with the Master Developer, Studers/Pelicans and the University of West Florida have been signed. All deadlines have passed to challenge those votes by the City Council.
In 2007, to fulfill his commitment to guarantee his lease of the multi-use stadium, Studer established an irrevocable trust with a life insurance policy naming the City as the beneficiary. Donovan and Nobles accepted that life insurance policy – on which Studer has been paying the premiums for almost three years.
As part of his commitment to City for the park with the multi-use stadium, he gave UWF $2.25 million of the maritime museum. Nobles and Donovan didn’t object.
As part of his commitment to City for the park with the multi-use stadium, he has spent tens of thousands of dollars designing his $12-million office building that is to be on the property. Nobles and Donovan didn’t object.
When is a contract with the City of Pensacola valid?
…wait I know, when it is for the Airport. Remember it was Nobles who pushed the Airport hotel lease – the one that an independent auditor had several issues with. At the time of 2008 council vote on the deal, hotel owner Julian MacQueen told the Council, “My hope is you will deal (in) good faith with me.”
Then-Councilman Mike DeSorbo said before the vote, “…we made a commitment to an individual. That is probably the biggest weight on my shoulders. The city’s and my own credibility are at stake. I have to support it.” Nobles and Donovan agreed with the DeSorbo and voted for the deal.
What did Marty have to say about MacQueen and the deal? “Thank God we’ve got someone in the community who can get financing. It’s a darn good deal.” – Of course MacQueen didn’t have the financing at the time the lease was signed. That would come several months later.
Studer has the financing for his $12-million office building. Funny, Donovan doesn’t mention that on the PAC website.
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This is a personal vendetta that Donovan has with Studer. If he truly cared about the City and this park, Donovan would have been a part of the process trying to make it better (Remember it was Marty who tried to get WCI to make a proposal to build condos on the property back in 2005). If he didn’t want the stadium, then Donovan should have objected to the Studer’s lease, refused Studer’s life insurance policy and tried to make changes to the site plan.
Instead, he waited for a chance to once again misstate the facts, harm Studer and use the City as his weapon. Unfortunately Donovan has never wanted to be a part of the park process. He enjoys the havoc that he can reap.
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Now that we have shown the stadium placement hasn’t changed much, if at all, since 2006, you can expect “Park Yes Stadium No” to retool their message.