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Sunday, April 28, 2024 |
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MMF and the "opera" house |
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TonyB 
MUSA Citizen 
Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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 Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 8:59am |
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Vet,
You've got to remember, this isn't a private venture; this is a public/private partnership!!! Plus, since it's being run through a non-profit, any revenue generated will be tax-exempt. Also, the city isn't loaning money, they are GIVING money to MMF with no provision or expectation that the money will be repaid. I'm much more interested in where MMF intend to get the loan. They obviously can't go through Mr. Mulligan's bank because that would be a clear conflict of interest. I'm also interested in what will happen to this whole project when MMF is decertified by the Secretary of State for not filing an annual financial report. According to the law, all assets will have to be disposed of to civic projects and public charities with the approval of the court of common pleas. What will happen then to the politicians who appropriated the money to an organization that did not follow the law? I've made no secret that I thought the city should buy the Opera House, however; the timing couldn't be worse. The city has just laid off public safety workers and cut budgets but somehow; $75,000 is in the economic development fund that can be given to a non-profit that has no accountability to the tax payers since it is asserted that MMF is not a city board. I just wonder who is running the public relations for this city because, imho, they should be fired for gross incompetence!!! |
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NOLA
MUSA Immigrant 
Joined: Dec 13 2011 Status: Offline Points: 18 |
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Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 9:15am |
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I would like to see the building saved as well however "timing" is the key word. Is the city going to hound themselves like they do other citizens when their properties become in a state of disrepair?
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lrisner
MUSA Citizen
Joined: May 26 2009 Status: Offline Points: 330 |
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Posted: Dec 31 2011 at 7:55pm |
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The whole problem here is that so many still refer to the area in question as "Down Town". Well, News alert! Middletown does NOT have a Down Town area any more. Calling a bunch of empty Buildings that USED to be Down Town that is ridiculous.
Stop the pain. Issue bonds and level it all. Let the free Market (which I don't worship like some do, but realize it is the answer here) deal with what is left. |
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Pacman
Prominent MUSA Citizen 
Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612 |
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Posted: Jan 02 2012 at 7:28pm |
 Pacman
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When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Thomas Jefferson |
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VietVet
MUSA Council 
Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Posted: Jan 03 2012 at 6:31am |
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An official bird city hall? (occupiers of One Donham Plaza and council members alike)
Perhaps a pink plastic flamingo would be appropriate. It is hollow. Has no substance. Is not capable of realizing it's surroundings nor where it is residing. Unable to think on it's own as it has no reasoning ability. Is placed where one wants it, similar to the puppets for the MMF. Is tacky and is stereotypically associated with seedy decorating, similar to a velvet Elvis picture. Fits the city leader theme image for the town as a ghetto. Is totally inanimate and incapable of responding to any stimulus around it, stands there like a statue and is "not prepared (capable) to answer questions". Emotionless/lifeless. Kinda like council when asked a question in Citizens Comments or when you ask a city leader a question that puts them in an "awkward" situation. 
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spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
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Posted: Jan 03 2012 at 7:19am |
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as for Middletown, how about.......
the TURKEY!!
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Jan 03 2012 at 6:53pm |
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PACMAN: Here’s a thought: We
can both use a few extra bucks. How
about if you and I form a “Community Improvement Corporation” just like MMF did???
(We could call ours “CRIPs”—City Running In Place!!!) Then we could go to City Council, claim that
we raised $10,000 ourselves, but we need another $75,000 for some mysterious,
yet to be determined “property development” projects.
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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TonyB
MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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Posted: Jan 03 2012 at 11:41pm |
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Mr. P,
I've noticed that there has been no mention of the purchase of the Sorg Opera House by our newspaper of record. Was there any mention at the city council meeting? |
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 12:33am |
Tony, I don't know. I
had intended to watch tonight's (1/3/2012) meeting from home via TVMiddletown,
but for some reason it seemed to have been blacked out. Why? I have no idea!
The last I know is that Bayview Loan Servicing LLC took
title to the property for $100,500 the day after MMF received $75,000 from City
Council at the final meeting of 2011. |
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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TonyB
MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 11:05am |
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Mr. P,
Since TVMiddletown is in the "historic" downtown, one would have assumed that they would have priority in funding!!! This whole MMF - Sorg Opera House purchase is beginning to seem manipulated; as if someone either knew what was about to happen or this was the plan to have an out-of-state company buy the property to divert attention. When you have an organization with no accountability to the public (such as MMF), it becomes a guessing game as to what is transpiring. The fact that city officials are on this board, that this is the CIC for the city and that they received taxpayer funds, there is no possible way that this group (MMF) can be considered NOT a city board. Why no transparency; why no public relations; why no community outreach? It's almost as if they are conspiring to be secretive. It makes no sense to me, however; it must make some sense to those involved. This is beginning to look more and more like an authoritarian form of governing and less like a democracy with every action taken. Where will this end is a guess on the part of the "common" citizenry. I was taught is school (Middletown Public School System, btw) that elected officials are the "servants" of the public. It seems now that even local officials are the "Masters" and we are their servants!!! |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council
Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 2:03pm |
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Last week I posted an article about the historic “Lustron Homes” that were built in several areas of our city none were located in a historic district. We have numerous other buildings around
The real reason to declare an area or building historic is for the tax break and or to receive government funding. So that must be the answer to why the City purchased the Sorg Opera House. Why should one historic area or building receive funding and another receive nothing.
It is clear to me that the City is clearly discriminating against the |
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TonyB
MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 2:40pm |
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Vivian,
I'm not one to disagree with you but I think you might be mistaken about the City and the Middletown Cemetery. I don't think it's as much discrimination as it is a case of no economic advantage. There's no economic advantage to restoring the Vault; therefore, no reason to fund it. It seems that they don't see anything beyond that and that just makes them short sighted not discriminatory. |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council
Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 5:45pm |
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TonyB
Believe me it's discrimination because of the area. Pray tell what are the economic advantages to the purchase of the Manchester Inn or the Sorg Opera House.
If you think this will end with the purchase of the Sorg Opera House you are in for a big suprise over the next 12 months. |
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TonyB
MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 6:15pm |
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Vivian,
That is what I mean. They can't make any money from it. The purchase of buildings for less than market value is profitable only if you can increase the value. They can't make any money from the cemetery. It's just not a priority. Where this will end is anyone's guess. I'm no longer surprised by anything; I've lived around here for too long!!! |
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409
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Mar 27 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1014 |
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Posted: Jan 11 2012 at 9:15pm |
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From the MJ:
Fate of the Sorg may be known in FebruaryBy Michael D. Pitman, Staff Writer 8:26 PM Wednesday, January 11, 2012 MIDDLETOWN — By the end of next month, the fate of the Sorg Opera House is expected to be known. Will it be purchased by Middletown Moving Forward and upgraded or will it be not cost-effective to be saved? Middletown Moving Forward has a contract to purchase the opera house - built in 1891 - and is “going through the due diligence right now,” said Ken Cohen, president of the community improvement corporation and president of Cohen Brothers Inc. The current owner of the building is Bayview Loan Servicing, according to the Butler County Auditor’s Office. In December, City Council voted 5-2 to approve a $75,000 expenditure to Middletown Moving Forward, which already had $10,000 in private donations, to purchase the Sorg. Cohen said there was a recent inspection of the opera house at 63 S. Main St. What the Sorg will become if it is purchased isn’t fully known, but its potential are why Middletown Moving Forward wants to purchase it. “We think it’s a historic building and ultimately we think downtown Middletown will be revived,” he said. “To lose it when we have a chance to buy it is something we really don’t want to do.” While there isn’t a specific use, Cohen said it could be a good spot with Cincinnati State Community & Technical College, which is pursuing a campus in downtown Middletown. “The building is a large building, has office space, and when Cincinnati State materializes, it could be turned into some kind of student housing down the road,” Cohen said. He said the Sorg’s theater could also be utilized by the college. Middletown City Manager Judy Gilleland said the Sorg is a historically significant building to the city, but said it is important to see if it’s cost-effective for the Middletown Moving Forward to purchase the building or if it would need to be razed. The city will have a say as four of the 10 seats on Middletown Moving Forward’s board are city officials, including Gilleland. “It’s important to do that to each historical building in town that’s deemed an asset,” she said of the evaluation process. “If the facts or the political process don’t support saving the building, then that’s one alternative. But at the very least we need to have a conscious conversation about our historic building inventory.” If it’s not cost-effective to upgrade the Sorg and razing it is the only option, then it could cost hundreds of thousands — or potentially $500,000 or more — and that’s money the city and the Middletown Moving Forward does not have, “but that’s the alternative that needs to be looked into.” |
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TonyB
MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 5:52am |
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Once again, no surprise here; the city buys a building and the only consideration is "cost effectiveness". That seems to be the only measurable criteria in this town. No interest in the history of the building, no consideration for the legacy left by Paul Sorg to the city of Middletown, no idea what to do with the building before it was purchased!!! If this city decides to raze this building, you can count on there little "arts community" to go by the wayside. If MMF does something like this, every person on that board should resign or the citizens should boycott the businesses of the people responsible for this mess.
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council
Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 6:04am |
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PLEEEEZE……..stop the spin. The City is going to buy the Sorg Opera House without any business plan what so ever. Where are all the student housing units for MUM and Butler Tech students? |
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VietVet
MUSA Council
Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 6:25am |
MUM, Butler Tech and Cincy State (if it materializes) are all commuter campuses. No housing is required. Don't know where Cohen is getting the housing idea for Sorg from. CS was never meant to require housing.(IE-student housing requirements were never mentioned) If this MMF plan does not materialize, we should keep an eye out to make sure they return the $75,000 loan back to the city. It ain't their money and knowing these  's will get "lost in the shuffle of voodoo finances" with Russy Carolus. The Sorg is too much of a fire trap now. Been neglected too long. Pretty shabby inside. Too much money to bring it to code and modernize versus the financial gain and return. I wouldn't think any of this is going to happen, be it MMF or the city. If the city does buy the Sorg, it will sit there like Swallens, the Studio theatre and others for awhile. Then, as time goes by, the city will make an announcement that it is not cost effective to rehab and they can find no one to use the structure, followed by the always predictable "we will demo it in the near future. Happened with Roosevelt school. Happened with Swallens and is waiting to happen with the Studio theatre. Same game, different location and time. While we're on the subject of Sorg, finding a use and rehabbing, what's the status of the Sorg Mansion? Haven't heard too much about it lately. Was on the market for awhile. No takers?
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VietVet
MUSA Council
Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 6:45am |
Tony, the city leaders are trying to wipe out any legacies. They want to lose any and all connections with the way the town was in the past. Jobs- ignoring the fact this city is a working class town and not even attempting to lure jobs to match worker ability, taking a once thriving blue collar community and creating a ghetto, low income, town-destroying environment with undesirable Section 8 in abundance, destroying historic structures, ignoring long-standing businesses, telling people like Lenny Robinson how it will be on signs, refusing to build the downtown properly, telling the Journal what to print, controlling information to the people, secretive decisions, driving people out of the city with their nonsense and stupidity as to city operations. Overtaxation/high taxation rates. Overcharging on water/sewer rates. All a plan by a small faction of morons to control the masses and reduce the city population simply because that's the way they want it. No logic to any of it. Just exclusion for most. The best thing for this city right now (actually years ago) is to run the city manager, planning director, law director, finance director, econ. dev director, 2/3rds of council, with emphasis on the mayor, and the MMF crowd out of town and start over with good, competent people who care about the citizens. They are all a cancer on this city. |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council
Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 7:56am |
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The real push to save many historic areas of our country started about 1970. I believe the
We have had numerous discussions on this blog about the rundown areas of the 2nd Ward however we never discuss the real reason why these condition exists with all the HUD dollars the city has received. For years millions of HUD dollars have went into the restoration of the downtown area while the other needs of the 1st and 2nd Wards were ignored. Now we have yet another plan to restore the downtown area “Main Street USA”. It is true that this program has worked in other towns…however….private investments are key to the success of this program. Hmmm...didn’t City Hall just remove several businesses from the downtown core? Did we offer these business other office space in this new downtown? Why did they leave your “ Well I’ve got a lot of questions about this new plan. I keep hearing words like PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP and STAKEHOLDERS. Hmmm…since the city now owns the majority of the downtown core buildings who are the private investors going to be? I would like to see the list of names of the PRIVATE INVESTORS and STAKEHOLDS of this new downtown venture. Will this be a 50 - 50 deal? Who will be writing all the grants? Who will really be footing the bill for “THEIR NEW DOWNTOWN”? When will the City address the real needs of our city? |
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Jack Black
MUSA Immigrant
Joined: Oct 30 2011 Status: Offline Points: 29 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 9:53am |
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Once again you hit the nail squarely on the head Vivian. The bureaucrats at One Donham Plaza certainly have a dubious record of continuing failures and waste when it comes to squandering our hard-earned tax dollars. And to think that these dreamers always know what is best for our city and us? NOT!!
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TonyB
MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 11:57am |
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"The city will have a say as four of the 10 seats on Middletown Moving Forward’s board are city officials, including Gilleland."
I want someone to explain how this is not a city board? |
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Bobbie
MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jun 05 2009 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 288 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 12:36pm |
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Personally I think it is a conflict of interest for any council member that sits on the board for MMF to be able to vote for a loan to this organization.
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 2:56pm |
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I have been told by reliable sources MMF CIC is not registered as a CIC.
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Jack Black
MUSA Immigrant
Joined: Oct 30 2011 Status: Offline Points: 29 |
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Posted: Jan 12 2012 at 4:06pm |
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Because the invincible Judith Gilleland Ashworth rules absolutely from her throne on the second floor of One Donham Plaza!!
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Mike_Presta wrote:|
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