| LovelandPolitics.com |
| Grand Station Failure Finally Reported By Local Media In Response to a Press Release that stated the obvious |
Loveland - June 16, 2008
We have received a large number of inquiries regarding the recent announcement by McWhinney Enterprises regarding the delay of the
Grand Station project. A number of newer readers have inquired as to why LovelandPolitics didn't run a story about the failure of
Grand Station to begin this summer as planned. Our answer? We did run that story five months ago. see story from Feb. 2008.
The Loveland Reporter-Herald ran a headline on June 14, 2008 "Market delays Grand Station - Development’s first stage pushed
back until 2011" finally reporting the delay which was clear to our staff as early as late last year. The Loveland R-H story was printed
in response to a recent press announcement by McWhinney's spokesman Jack Wolfe that Grand Station will not begin as planned.
The Loveland Reporter-Herald article stated, "According to Wolfe, there has been a 'tremendous amount of interest' on the
leasing." Lovelandpolitics was informed the only leases signed by the first quarter of 2008 were for a Ft. Collins Mexican Restaurant
and a bowling alley - a far cry from the 60 shops planned.
The LovelandPolitics blog last February published the following information;
"The recent departure of the VP for Leasing, Grand Station General Manager and now the Senior Financial Officer & CFO
of McWhinney/Centerra has gone unnoticed in the local media. All the signs point towards a failed effort to get Grand Station
off the ground but now we are hearing about bigger financial issues for McWhinney in Loveland that could result in lay-offs.
All this against the backdrop of the City Manager privately planning to spring another Metro District upon the Council for
McWhinney's benefit."
LovelandPolitics Feb. 2008
Instead of reporting this significant news, the Reporter-Herald instead ran a story earlier this year largely mimicking a defensive press
release by McWhinney that masked the untimely departures as part of an internal restructuring while McWhinney Spokesman Jack
Wolfe pretended all was going ahead as planned. Of course, Lovelandpolitics.com readers knew better as former McWhinney
employees were happy to share the facts with LovelandPolitics. Increasing the footprint of properties covered under the tax benefits
afforded McWhinney in their MFA (Master Financing Agreement) with the city has come forward but now as a "swap" for properties
that will not be developed. Loveland's City Council met in private with McWhinney on this issue and has now postponed the public's
first chance to hear the plan until sometime in early August.
Below are comments posted by Councilman Glenn Rousey in response to the Feb. 2008 LovelandPolitics story regarding the Grand
Station project falling apart;
"With most of you already deciding that Grand Station is falling apart, how many of you are willing to come back to this blog
and post that you were wrong after it is built?"
"I sincerely believe that Grand Station will be completed and will be of benefit to Loveland. Again, as I've stated before, time
will tell and If I'm mistaken I'll be the first to admit it."
Posted by Councilman Glenn Rousey
February 21, 2008
We have received a large number of inquiries regarding the recent announcement by McWhinney Enterprises regarding the delay of the
Grand Station project. A number of newer readers have inquired as to why LovelandPolitics didn't run a story about the failure of
Grand Station to begin this summer as planned. Our answer? We did run that story five months ago. see story from Feb. 2008.
The Loveland Reporter-Herald ran a headline on June 14, 2008 "Market delays Grand Station - Development’s first stage pushed
back until 2011" finally reporting the delay which was clear to our staff as early as late last year. The Loveland R-H story was printed
in response to a recent press announcement by McWhinney's spokesman Jack Wolfe that Grand Station will not begin as planned.
The Loveland Reporter-Herald article stated, "According to Wolfe, there has been a 'tremendous amount of interest' on the
leasing." Lovelandpolitics was informed the only leases signed by the first quarter of 2008 were for a Ft. Collins Mexican Restaurant
and a bowling alley - a far cry from the 60 shops planned.
The LovelandPolitics blog last February published the following information;
"The recent departure of the VP for Leasing, Grand Station General Manager and now the Senior Financial Officer & CFO
of McWhinney/Centerra has gone unnoticed in the local media. All the signs point towards a failed effort to get Grand Station
off the ground but now we are hearing about bigger financial issues for McWhinney in Loveland that could result in lay-offs.
All this against the backdrop of the City Manager privately planning to spring another Metro District upon the Council for
McWhinney's benefit."
LovelandPolitics Feb. 2008
Instead of reporting this significant news, the Reporter-Herald instead ran a story earlier this year largely mimicking a defensive press
release by McWhinney that masked the untimely departures as part of an internal restructuring while McWhinney Spokesman Jack
Wolfe pretended all was going ahead as planned. Of course, Lovelandpolitics.com readers knew better as former McWhinney
employees were happy to share the facts with LovelandPolitics. Increasing the footprint of properties covered under the tax benefits
afforded McWhinney in their MFA (Master Financing Agreement) with the city has come forward but now as a "swap" for properties
that will not be developed. Loveland's City Council met in private with McWhinney on this issue and has now postponed the public's
first chance to hear the plan until sometime in early August.
Below are comments posted by Councilman Glenn Rousey in response to the Feb. 2008 LovelandPolitics story regarding the Grand
Station project falling apart;
"With most of you already deciding that Grand Station is falling apart, how many of you are willing to come back to this blog
and post that you were wrong after it is built?"
"I sincerely believe that Grand Station will be completed and will be of benefit to Loveland. Again, as I've stated before, time
will tell and If I'm mistaken I'll be the first to admit it."
Posted by Councilman Glenn Rousey
February 21, 2008
| “Despite all the rumors, Grand Station is alive and well,” Jack Wolfe, President of Commercial Properties, McWhinney Enterprises 1-21-2008 |
| Baghdad Bob or Jack Wolfe? |
| Loveland residents and city staff watch a slide presentation on Grand Station in 2007 |