Jack Bradley’s Legacy A tale of Woe, Waffling, and Wonder of Political Wheeling and Dealing
Part one : https://oheragain.com/2025/01/30/a-legacy-of-wheeling-dealing-and-demise-of-st-joes-lorain/
We now come to the 21st Century and the continuing saga of monies spent and some familiar names of today
2000 – That year we KNOW that now County Commissioner Jeff Riddell just happened to be the ‘PRESIDENT OF THE NON -PROFIT – SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORTATION – Jeff Riddell was very good and the deals as documented on this blog November 2023
How do we know ?
Well when Jeff Riddell was President of South Shore Community Development Corp. he signed documents, this one in particular giving Community Health Partners , The combination of St. Joesphs Hospital and Lorain Community Hospital … easement across the South Shore Community Developemnt “property” for the ‘PARKING GARAGE ” which was then owned by Community Health Partners ( soon to become Mercy)
We will come back to this situation later on. and some familiar names
Fast Forward : a few years and the money has dried up and according to Mr. Cordes ( Board of South Shore Development ) in March of 2009 and my That Woman Blog
2009
“Hopefully, we’ll find some solutions before things come to the critical mass point,”
https://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/03/14/news/mj750123.txt ( link is broken) https://www.morningjournal.com/2001/12/30/st-joseph-center-needs-tenants
Interesting enough two of the comments from that post :
Renee Dore , Historian and Co Chair Of Charleston Village Society
RE: that Spring THAT LIES BENEATH
“The elevator (lobby) in the Drs. office building across the street still has the sulphur odor of the spring- there used to be a sign posted as to what the source of the odor. “
In that post of getting real… broken links but some of the time line:
March of 2009 the article in the Morning Journal
St. Joseph center in crisis: Lack of tenants, operating capital could cause eventual closure
http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/03/14/news/mj750123.txt
had the then President of the South Shore Development Board ( In 1997 St. Joseph Community Center was created by the South Shore Development CDC ) – Jim Cordes ( Lorain County Administrator) as stating:
The center is running out of cash and faces about a $300,000 deficit this year, he said.
SEPTEMBER 2010
Between those two statements a lot of “planning, bells and whistles, handshaking and patting on the back has happened . NOTE some links no longer work but they are there as proof and can be accessed through Library Files
Lorain City Council in 2010 approved money to operate St. Joe’s while Krasienko’s administration looked for ways to keep it open.
The agreement also calls for the current South Shore board, which has been largely defunct since the city took control of St. Joe’s at the beginning of the year, to be replaced with a new ninemember board. Five of the board’s members will be handpicked by IRG, which gives the company a controlling number of seats. Three members will be selected by the city. The county commissioners will pick the final board member.
In fact just last June 2011 another deal was brokered with great hoopla and artwork
http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2011/06/30/news/mj4742477.txt
“Definitely good news,” said Mayor Tony Krasienko. “Obviously, we’ve put a lot of time and resources into making sure the St. Joseph Community Center is a success.
However, there was concern from some on Lorain City Council as to the “way forward” and in July 18 2011 an update on the situation at St. Joe’s was requested. You can find the minutes of that meeting in the following PDF file
council meeting minutes
note CLICK ON those council minutes link . Questions were asked BUT ..the political and legal speak won out….
Interesting because in 2012 as the above link shows – South Shore supposedly had a lot going for it
We had the Valor Homes , Veterans Affairs , Outpatients Clinic , Branch of Lorain County Community College , Title Office, Lorain Sports Hall of Fame, Senator Browns Office and Representative Suttons office , Child Day Care and Adult Day care ‘ AND BECAUSE OF THAT THE GOVERNMENT FORGAVE A LOT OF MONEY !!!!
So Lorain County for their part paid out $425,000.00 Resolution 12-677 ( are we adding any of this up yet? THIS WAS OCTOBER 2012
What nobody said in all these glowing reports that the building was lacking in maintenance , the roofs were leaking and those attending seminars etc in the auditorium were dodging raindrops!!!!!
Now in the meantime there was a big meeting and again much bell ringing and glad handing journal-entry-commissioners-meeting-st-joes (1) (5) (1)
There is a lot of toing and froing in that meeting , but what I am intersted in
Mid-2010 – City and County made a decision that the SSCDC Center should remain open.
September of 2010 – Development Agreement between City of Lorain, SSCDC, Ohio
Department of Development, County of Lorain, Mercy Health Partners, and Industrial Realty
Group.
September of 2010 – Ohio Realty Advisors was retained by SSCDC to manage the property.
January 2012 – Mercy Donation of adjacent property. IS THAT THE DAMNED FALLING DOWN PARKING GARAGE, IF SO WHO ACCEPTED THE DONATION FOR SOUTH SHORE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, and why would they take on more problems ???? ( these things need to be investigated!!!!!! The property was in dire straits even then…..
In 2010- 2011 under Mayor Krasienko questions were asked ….about that property
Daniel Given asked
At that time The Board and members of council discussed the “way forward” with positive pronunciations and in response to Mr. Given’s question in July 2011-
There are many questions with long – term stability of the building and group etc.What kind of cash reserves do we have on hand for repair and maintenance etc. What if the basement floods or sewer breaks etc.
THE RESPONSE:
Lee Berger: Financially I am happy to say we are projecting to be stable by the end of this year ( 2011) with the sale of the 5th floor. We have done a lot of work internally to get the operating costs down to something we can handle and obviously leasing the building is our way out. Our projections in 2012, which we are working on now, will start the year at zero and hope with new leasing that we will be in good shape in 2012 and forward.
So what happened that just about 5 months after that meeting crisis hits?? and the Ohio Realty Advisors managing the property sends a letter
http://www.scribd.com/doc/81015126/Ohio-Realty-Advisors-Letter-to-SSCDC-St-Joe-s-0212
states in his letter ( emphasis mine) :
Hipp also wrote that his company projected that St. Joe’s would be running deficits of $25,000 per month as 2012 got under way, and there was no plan in place to absorb those costs.
“From the onset South Shore was operating in a deficit with no long -term plan to fund shortfalls,” Hipp wrote.
How things seem to have changed in 5 months–
Did this whole project rely on one group purchasing the 5th floor and therefore injecting $300,000 cash plus build out into the project.
Is that the “business plan”???????
In 2015 the older part of the hospital had to be demolished https://youtu.be/Z9t8B_5jSNw?si=yeUxKOworfxr8STJ and I would suggest closed captions on the Doug Rangel link https://youtu.be/Mo_M0wravCs?si=qoHeCXujaSX05H2y as weel at the Dennis Flores link https://youtu.be/W_hFeqDw__4?si=yHPbY_ml6QlIZEwi
However for that demolition the EPA was informed and all was taken down in the correct manner.
I would also suggest this link to follow the rest of the story https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2018/03/01/game-of-loans-clear-as-mud-cdbg-funds-lorain/
n the case of the loan to South Shore Development Corp there were issues with conflict of interest. http://www.chroniclet.com/news/2016/07/08/FBI-probes-loan-program-by-Lorain-Development-Corp-ran-for-city.html
One of the loans that HUD officials flagged is a $250,000 loan made to South Shore Development Corp. in 2011 to help keep the struggling St. Joseph Community Center afloat. That loan was never repaid and eventually written off by Lorain Development Corp. State auditors have said that more than $600,000 worth of loans distributed by Lorain Development Corp. were written off over the years, but Mason said that his research indicates that figure might be slightly lower because of how some of the loans were structured.
The HUD review said that the money lent to South Shore was troubling because at the time of the loan, Robert Gilchrist was serving as both the city’s service director and president of the South Shore board. HUD called Gilchrist’s dual role “an apparent Conflict of Interest.”
Mr Gilchrist – he of the diversionary program – voting illegally , pleading guilty to drug charges
and alleged domestic abuse which cost him his job at as President of the Lorain County Community Action Agency was also in his Service Director position on the BOARD of CONTROL for the City of Lorain.
You know that BOC that is one of the checks and balances the taxpayers have. But hey we are OK because this Lorain Development Corporation is a separate entity – although contracted by the then Community Development Dept. ( see 2008 interview) and the money to fund it came from where ? Too many of the same names and relationships for my liking .
Early in 2009, South Shore announced its intention to close the St. Joe’s center because its income was outstripped by operating expenses, notably high utility costs. Lorain City Council in 2010 approved money to operate St. Joe’s while Krasienko’s administration looked for ways to keep it open. Lorain Service Director Robert Gilchrist was a key in brokering the deals needed to keep the center open and yesterday he made the city’s presentation to the Clean Ohio Council in Columbus.
Such plans in 2011- ……….
You can find the Board of Control minutes here – through various administrations http://www.cityoflorain.org/mayor/documents You can also access the Journal Entry on the discussion with the County Commissioners et al APRIL 2012 with charts and discussions in depth here JOURNAL ENTRY Commissioners Meeting St. Joes
| 2012 (no leasing) | 2013 (15k ft) | 2014 (15k ft) | 2015 (15k ft) | |
| Revenue | 913 | 1,063 | 1,213 | 1,363 |
| Expenses | 1,046 | 1,077 | 1,109 | 1,142 |
| Net Income | (132) | (14) | 104 | 221 |
| Capital/Other | 212 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| Grants/Loans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Receipts | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Profit/Loss | (342) | (212) | (94) | 23 |
Loans;
- $1,350,000 Loan on Property from the State
- Guaranteed $675,000 each to the City and County
- Payback of the State Loan does not begin until profitable OR when SSCDC property is sold.
- As a part of the development agreement a $250,000 Loan was provided to South Shore Community Development Corporation to cover operating shortfall.
- Beginning on April 1, 2012 the first monthly payment of $1,488 is due.
- The Loan is unsecured.
Grants:
- HUD EDI Grant – $166,500. Grant funds were used to fund the LCCC expansion/extension and Little Lighthouse tenant improvement work.
- HHS – $253,000. Grant funds were used to fund mechanical deferred maintenance to the then occupied areas and common systems.
- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant – $480,000
- City application for funds allowed for both a grant component and loan component for use at St. Joe’s totaling $480,000.
- In 2011, when EECBG project scopes for St. Joe’s were being developed, use of funds for maintenance of existing systems was disallowed.
- The Dep. Of Energy also determined that the combination of both a grant and loan could not be used at St. Joe’s; thus the funding became capped at approximately $200,000.
- City and SSCDC now developing a revised scope to utilize the available EECBG funds for non-maintenance energy efficiency projects.
CORF
- $1,600,000 Grant Awarded to the City of Lorain for SSCDC project.
- Mercy match over 3 years- $120k per year for 3 years = $360k
- Demolition includes Building D, Reidy Scanlon Bldg., Thrift Shop.
- The City of Lorain is currently advertising for a certified professional.
- Demolition anticipated to begin summer of 2012
and the rest of the story????????????????????????????? Who knows but I agree with Mayor Ritenauer .. to me this is all as clear as mud………… and just to help with information :
NOTE..FOR SOME PECULIAR REASON A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION IS “NOW”IN RECENT MONTHS DISAPPEARED AND THE LINKS ARE BROKEN…….SINCE IT WAS A CITY ISSUE ANOTHER BURIAL PERHAPS. THE LINKS ARE BROKEN IN THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE I WROTE BUT THE EXPLANATION OF WHAT HAPPEND IS THERE ….. https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2018/03/01/game-of-loans-clear-as-mud-cdbg-funds-lorain/
CPD_Funding_Grantee_Matrix_LORA-OH_OH_20180201
Copy of Public Service Streets and 108 spreadsheet(2)
Economic Development Final http://destinyhosted.com/loraidocs/2016/CCREG/20160404_68/628_Economic%20Development%20Review%20FINAL%20PDF.pdf
LDC Conflict of Interest Policy http://destinyhosted.com/loraidocs/2016/CCREG/20160404_68/628_Lorain%20Development%20Corp%20Conflict%20of%20Interest%20Policy.pdf
LDC Subrecipient Agreement http://destinyhosted.com/loraidocs/2016/CCREG/20160404_68/628_LDC%20Subrecipient%20Agreement%20PDF.pdf
Portfolio Quality Report http://destinyhosted.com/loraidocs/2016/CCREG/20160404_68/628_Portfolio%20Quality%20Report.pdf
EDA Title IX Plan http://destinyhosted.com/loraidocs/2016/CCREG/20160404_68/628_EDA%20Title%20IX%20Revolving%20Loan%20Fund%20Plan.pdf
OH Her Again! 