Twisters & TIF
After Dennis Grubaugh’s request for city assistance to put a new roof on the Twisters building was tabled, Grubaugh asked for help in tearing it down.
Both of those alternatives were discussed in the past week by a city advisory committee and the city council.
Grubaugh initially asked for a $75,000 Tax Increment Financing grant for the roof replacement, estimated at $260,000, and the council tabled that request, asking for more information.
Two weeks later, Grubaugh said that after taking another look at an engineer’s report on building, he had decided it would be better to demolish the building and construct a new one.
Last Tuesday, the city’s TIF advisory committee reviewed his request for $400,000 in assistance for the demolition, estimated at more than $800,000.
Grubaugh told the committee that his plan calls for salvaging as much of the building as possible in the demolition process, and using what is salvaged in the construction of a new building.
“Personally, I don’t want to tear it down,” Grubaugh told the TIF committee.
“The panels and walls are still usable,” he said. “I want to salvage what we can to build another building.”
“I really don’t know what to do,” he said. “I’m open to suggestions from you (committee members).”
Several committee members questioned his plan for demolition, saying that that’s a lot of money to spend to get an open lot on which to expend more funds for a new building.
“Spending $872,000 to get there is a difficult situation,” Steve Henna of the committee said, adding that if the council was hesitant to give him a $75,000 grant, he couldn’t see aldermen approving a $400,000 grant.
Grubaugh said that making renovations to the existing structure would be a possibility.
“It is repairable. It can be made safe,” Grubaugh said. “I believe that I can put it (roof) on like it should be put on.”
Grubaugh told committee members that he sought estimates from demolition firms. Of those, one said it would bid on the work, but never did.
Henna and Doug Knebel told Grubaugh that they still favored a roof replacement project over demolition.
“Maybe there is a way to revisit it,” Henna said.
Grubaugh said aldermen have not looked at his project the way it has others.
“They are worried about the building being safe,” Grubaugh said. “Were they worried about other buildings (they gave TIF money for)?
“I don’t think that there’s anything there that’s catastrophic and going to fail,” Grubaugh said. “I still believe in the building.”
Advisory committee members agreed to send it to the council with a recommendation to reconsider the roof project, and to meet with the council to both explain their reasoning and to see if city officials can give them any guidance on future TIF applications.
Such a meeting was held on Monday prior to the council meeting, with no clear recommendation on the Grubaugh project coming out of the meeting.
If anything, several aldermen said they are hesitant to make any TIF award.
Knebel told Mayor Rick Gottman and aldermen, “We’re not here to advocate” a TIF grant for Grubaugh.
Rather, he said, the committee wondered if city officials could give any advice or guidance in reviewing TIF projects.
“We’ve sought that in the past, and were told that each project stands on it own. Ultimately, we’d love to see that kind of guidance, but we understand that that’s hard to do.”
Gottman said, “Every project needs to be weighed out on its merit and what it’s going to bring back to the community.”
Brothers Neil and B. John Clark said they believe that while they appreciate all of the building projects that Grubaugh has taken on, they have trouble supporting this one.
Neil Clark said that at one meeting, Grubaugh said that he could stick his hand under the foundation in one spot.
“It’s one time saying one thing, one time saying something else.
“I’ve gone along with his requests for some of his buildings,” Clark said.
“I appreciate what he’s done downtown, but there’s a time to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ He bought the building, it’s his responsibility.
“He should have thought about this before he bought the building.
“I’m not going to get run out of town on a rail to say, ‘Ya, we’re going to give you $400,000 to fix that building,” Neil Clark said.
B. John Clark said, “Dennis bought the building, and he knew what it was when he bought it.
“And it’s not up to us to bail him out. I would never vote for it, because I think it (Twisters building) needs to come down. It’s left a bad taste in everybody’s mouth,” he said.