Developer Needed for Mellus Newspapers Building

[lalynch]

The company that offered $11,000 for the Mellus and two other adjacent properties was identified in the Free Press article as Hands-On Healing Home Health Care. A Google search on that name turned up zilch except for an address and a phone number. Maybe Lincoln Park officials performed this most basic of due dilligence also. Maybe this "health care company" was determined to be more a pie-in-the-sky idea than a company with actual revenue and employees.
But, I'm just speculating. That's the cynic in me.

Hands On Healing Home Health Care is currently in the New Center Area on West Grand Boulevard in a very nice office building. A DDA member did follow up with their landlord as well. They currently have 12 - 15 employees and after a move to the Mellus and Pollak Buildings would add more employees so that they would have 20 or 30 employees. The retail medical supply business that the owner of Hands On Home Health Care also owns has 6 employees and after a move to the DDA owned Dorsey Building would have 10 employees. The owner also submitted to the DDA a letter from his bank stating that he has more than $700,000 in the bank. He also stated at an October special DDA meeting that his annual sales were over $2 million dollars with his annual salary of $500,000. It is not a "pie in the sky" idea.

[lalynch]

Bump. This needs further discusion. Who is the OP? Does he/she have an interest in Hands-On Home Health Care?

What do you mean by OP?

[warsaw7]

Tear it down already so we can stop hearing Lalynch's rabbling on useless information.........

[Fury13]

What do you mean by OP?

"OP" is Internet shorthand for "original poster," which would be you.

[lalynch]

"OP" is Internet shorthand for "original poster," which would be you.

No, I have nothing to do with the healthcare owner who submitted an offer on the three DDA owned buildings. Just a resident wanting to save this building and many others.

[lalynch]

Tear it down already so we can stop hearing Lalynch's rabbling on useless information.........

And why do you think it is useless information warsaw7?
Useless information to hear about a city that might loose an interesting streamline moderne building?

[SaintMe]

Tear it down already so we can stop hearing Lalynch's rabbling on useless information.........

There are 100 other threads you could read instead dude, no one is forcing you to sit and read this one.

[Novine]

"Maybe Lincoln Park officials performed this most basic of due dilligence also."

The city that hired the guy who lied on his resume to get hired in Sterling Heights?

[Chuck_MI]

Hands On Healing Home Health Care is currently in the New Center Area on West Grand Boulevard in a very nice office building. A DDA member did follow up with their landlord as well. They currently have 12 - 15 employees and after a move to the Mellus and Pollak Buildings would add more employees so that they would have 20 or 30 employees. The retail medical supply business that the owner of Hands On Home Health Care also owns has 6 employees and after a move to the DDA owned Dorsey Building would have 10 employees. The owner also submitted to the DDA a letter from his bank stating that he has more than $700,000 in the bank. He also stated at an October special DDA meeting that his annual sales were over $2 million dollars with his annual salary of $500,000. It is not a "pie in the sky" idea.

Thank you for responding with details. And I apologize for questioning your motives in this deal. I could have figured it out by scrolling to the top of the thread where you introduce yourself as the OP. My fault. I'm late to this game. That said, I believe that your beloved Mellus Building is toast. It seems that it was purchased by the city, along with the other adjacent buildings, for the express purpose of leveling the area for something other than the unoccupied, unmaintained urban blight that it had become.

That said, I believe that the Mellus building would make a good union hall, what with the rounded glass block windows and all.

Health care company with questionable financials and a stoopid name....probably not going to happen. But, YMMV.

[lalynch]

Thank you for responding with details. And I apologize for questioning your motives in this deal. I could have figured it out by scrolling to the top of the thread where you introduce yourself as the OP. My fault. I'm late to this game. That said, I believe that your beloved Mellus Building is toast. It seems that it was purchased by the city, along with the other adjacent buildings, for the express purpose of leveling the area for something other than the unoccupied, unmaintained urban blight that it had become.

That said, I believe that the Mellus building would make a good union hall, what with the rounded glass block windows and all.

Health care company with questionable financials and a stoopid name....probably not going to happen. But, YMMV.

Hmmm . . . know any unions that need a building?
The healthcare owner did not have questionable finances. He submitted proof of his finances to the DDA with the offer. He publically stated to the DDA that his annual sales for 2009 were over $2 million. He was willing to give to the DDA anything else they wanted. The problem he couldn't reach a deal with the DDA was that he offered $10,000 to the 3rd DDA owned building. They paid $175,000 for that particular building in 2004. Its been vacant the whole time. They think it is worth minimum $100,000. They seemed ok on selling Mellus and Pollak Buildings for $500 each but the healthcare owner wanted all three or nothing at all. And there's rumblings that not all of the DDA liked the idea of two healthcare businesses in the buildings even though it meant 30 - 40 employees. Some of them want retail and restaurants but what retail and restaurants are doing well enough to open more locations. My dilemna. Meanwhile, I have high hopes we will have an owner for the two buildings by the time the State Historic Preservation Office is done with their review.

[lalynch]

Update: it was stated at tonight's DDA meeting that the Mellus and Pollak Buildings demo could start as early as next Friday. DTE disconnected the electric today and by mid-week the gas will be disconnected. We were unsuccessful at finding a buyer for the buildings.

[rjlj]

Finally, my eyes will not be so sore. Make way for the emptyness, I mean progress.

[BVos]

Sorry to hear about the loss of the buildings. Hopefully this can at the least be a learning experience for the community and preservation can proceed with other buildings before they get in the hands of others. Doesn't sound like your DDA board is very bright down in Lincoln Park.

[lalynch]

Sorry to hear about the loss of the buildings. Hopefully this can at the least be a learning experience for the community and preservation can proceed with other buildings before they get in the hands of others. Doesn't sound like your DDA board is very bright down in Lincoln Park.

Nope. We had a tax attorney do the math on the tax credits. Its been determined that the net cost to rehab the Mellus, alone, could be as low as $46,000 after taking into consideration the tax credits.

The problem isn't so much those specific buildings, as our mayor thinks, it is just that developers don't have the cash and/or the financing. And other developers who might be interested already have their resources tied up with other projects. The highest offer on the buildings were $1661.00 by a Hong Kong man but he did not accompany his offer with proof of financing and background info. A Detroit business person offered $1000 for the two buildings with a plan to bring two businesses and 30 - 40 employees but he could not come to an agreement on the 3rd DDA owned building that the DDA attorney tells me they want $175,000 for. They paid $175,000 for that particular building. Unfortunately, this business person wanted all three buildings or none at all. So, at this point, it will take a miracle to save the Mellus.