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March 20, 2009
Forest City in the News
The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Merchandise Mart developer tells Forest City to get out of the way; says mall site is superior to Tower City
It appears that no amount of whining will get Merchandise Mart to agree to a deal to build on land owned by Forest City Enterprises (parent company of Atlantic Yards developer Forest CIty Ratner), but that hasn't stopped the increasingly desparate development company from trying to force a deal.
Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. rejected Forest City's offer to sell property behind Tower City, listing 17 reasons for the decision. Then MMPI asked the Cleveland-based firm to get out of the way and let the complex be built beneath downtown's historic mall.
"The mall site is so clearly superior to the Tower City site," MMPI Senior Vice President Mark Falanga said in a phone interview. "Forest City's got to recognize this. They've got to allow the process to move forward and accept the reality."
Fresno Bee, Downtown doesn't need Forest City's help
While the City of Fresno was waiting on Forest City Enterprises to transform a portion of the downtown area, economic revialization was happening without the subsidy-sucking eminent domain-abusing mega-development company. Now that Forest City has left the city at the altar, folks are recognizing the importance of organic redevelopment.
No, downtown Fresno has not been waiting idly for Forest City.
Ask the people behind Kebab Express (2139 Kern St.), Fresno's Newsroom Café (901 L St.) and the new Teazer World Tea Market at the Galleria (2405 Capitol Street #104) -- all three are new downtown businesses opening this month.
If this Forest City fracture does anything, it opens up opportunities for more local business to thrive in downtown Fresno.
Many places in Forest City's 85-acre radius were left in business purgatory, awaiting news on whether they'd fit in Forest City's plans ... or not.
So again, we don't need Forest City.
We've got people.
Posted by lumi at March 20, 2009 4:58 AM