Bing moving into the Manoogian?

[kraig]

October 15, 2009


Bing moving into the Manoogian?

I'll go if it makes financial sense, mayor says

BY SUZETTE HACKNEY
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Detroit Mayor Dave Bing made a campaign promise that he wouldn't live in the Manoogian Mansion, but he now says that mounting pressure from community stakeholders is forcing him to reconsider whether he should move into the city's official mayoral residence if he is elected to a full term next month.
Bing said he'll move to the home on the Detroit River only if it makes fiscal sense. The city has budgeted nearly $160,000 for upkeep of the property, which has sat empty for more than a year. It was last occupied by disgraced former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
"The Manoogian name is at risk here," Bing said. "Right now, the image has been tarnished and if we're going to change the city's image, it could very well start there.
"But it's got to predicated on factual data," he said. "Is it the right thing to do? Is it the cheapest thing to do?"
Bing's administration has launched a survey to examine whether other large cities provide mayoral housing. So far, their preliminary findings haven't supported a move, according to the incomplete survey the Free Press obtained.
Some on Bing's team are all for move

Business leaders and other community stakeholders have been in Bing's ear for months now, encouraging him to help exorcise the Manoogian Mansion ghosts of the past -- simply by moving in.

Bing, though, while campaigning last November, said he would not live in the city-owned mansion and thought it should be used as a revenue generator, perhaps for weddings or other functions.

But if elected Nov. 3 to serve a full, 4-year term, will the mayor reverse himself?

"What we're telling him is 'We want you to do this. We know what you said, but we respectfully ask if you'd change your mind,' " said Freman Hendrix, a cochair of Bing's turnaround team and a deputy mayor under former Mayor Dennis Archer.

"To many of laypeople in the community, they see it as a perk," Hendrix said of the mansion. "I've always viewed the stretch limousine and suites at the Fox and Joe Louis as tools that the mayor has at his disposal to advance the city's best interest. Having that facility -- the Manoogian Mansion -- available for him to bring in dignitaries, for him to bring in developers, gives him a place to take people to showcase the city, to sell the city."

The mansion has been unused since former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick hastily moved out in September 2008, after pleading guilty to two felonies and resigning from office. City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr., who served as Kilpatrick's replacement from that September to May, did not occupy the home.

Bing opted to become the city's first elected mayor to forgo living in the mansion, which sits on the Detroit River.

In part, Bing said, the house needed a cooling period because it had gained notoriety during the Kilpatrick administration as the supposed site of a wild party involving a stripper. Though the party was never proven, rumors of it helped ignite the chain of events that led to Kilpatrick resigning and going to jail.

The mansion became the backdrop for many TV broadcasts during the text message scandal involving Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff.

Bing said living in the house hasn't been a focus for him. "I've been blessed," the former NBA standout said, "so I've been able to pay my own rent, so I've resisted it, even though it's always been popular from an image standpoint."

A foundation once existed to help pay the costs of furnishing the home and other expenses, but it has become defunct. For the past 10 years, the city has budgeted $150,000 to $160,000 a year to manage the property. The mayor's executive protection unit still guards the house and stores equipment there.

Charles Beckham, Bing's chief administrative officer, said a "comprehensive process" will be considered to study how costly it would be to have the Bings move into the Manoogian, as well as other options, such as leasing the house for public events to help chip away at the city's deficit.

"The mayor, of course, campaigned on not using the Manoogian -- well, there's still a lot of pressure out there, believe it or not, that the mayor should live there," Beckham said. "But before we do that, since we're talking about a huge city cost, we want to do the analysis. ... It might make sense politically; it might make sense from an appearance standpoint, but it also needs to make sense from a cost standpoint and burden on the city."

Shortly after taking office, Bing moved from a rented condo near Jos. Campau and East Jefferson to a 3,851-square-foot condo on a peninsula that sticks into the Detroit River.

Last year, Bing moved from a mansion in Franklin to run for mayor.

Contact SUZETTE HACKNEY: 313-222-6678 or shackney@freepress.com
Additional Facts How other big cities house, protect mayors New York

Mayor: Michael Bloomberg

Housing: The Gracie Mansion is leased for public use and maintained by the city's Department of Parks & Recreation. The city created a conservancy to accept donations to maintain it.

Security: There is 24-hour protection, including at the mayor's private home. Also, a car and driver are provided.

Los Angeles

Mayor: Antonio Villaraigosa

Housing: The mayor lives in Getty House, the official mayoral residence. It is maintained by the city's Department of Recreation and Parks.

Security: Details weren't available.


HOUSTON

Mayor: Bill White

Housing: No allowance or property is provided.

Security: There is no security after business hours.

Philadelphia

Mayor: Michael Nutter

Housing: No allowance or property is provided.

Security: There is 24-hour protection, including a driver.

Sources: The City of Detroit and Free Press research

[cman710]

I do not think many people would get upset if Bing moved into the mansion, though those who are looking for any little thing to nitpick will probably make a big deal about it if he does move into the mansion. If the city has to pay to maintain the mansion anyway, it might make sense for him to move in, especially if they are spending money to provide the mayor security both at his own home and for the Manoogian mansion.

[crawford]

Who are these idiots in city govt. supporting this move? I have lost all respect for Hendrix.

This jerk is talking about pushing Bing to be living in mansions, riding around in limos, and hanging out in sports arena suites, all courtesy of the Detroit taxpayer!

Any remotely sane goverment would IMMEDIATELY put the Manoogian on the block. Detroit is flat broke! No papers and pencils for schoolkids! No police come when you call 911! Streetlights don't work! Street potholes are 100 times worse than here in third-world Mexico!

Sell it, and be done with it! There are only two other cities in the U.S. that have Mayoral mansions: NYC and LA. Detroit is NOT in the same financial situation as these two.

But, if you dig deeper, Detroit is really the ONLY city where taxpayers pay for this nonsense. In NYC, 100% of Gracie Mansion funds are paid for by a private foundation. Not a penny of tax dollars goes to Gracie Mansion. And the NYC Mayor Bloomberg doesn't live in the house anyways.

In LA, they have a house, but it's rather modest, and they are trying to get rid of it.

[slick]

It is costing 160,000 to maintian the Manoogian. Bing is paying something for where he is now living. Maintain the Manoogian and charge Bing rent.

[kraig]

Why does it cost $160,000.00 to maintain the residence? No house note. No property taxes. Utilities and ground maintenance can't cost that much.

[dcmorrison12]

From Crawford - "NYC and LA. Detroit is NOT in the same financial situation as these two"

Not to say Detroit is better off than NYC, but if I recall correctly - they are facing a multi BILLION dollar deficit

[crawford]

From Crawford - "NYC and LA. Detroit is NOT in the same financial situation as these two"

Not to say Detroit is better off than NYC, but if I recall correctly - they are facing a multi BILLION dollar deficit

NYC has a $50 billion dollar budget, so multi-billion isn't as much as it sounds in that context.

And, unlike Detroit, NYC is required to have a balanced budget at the end of each fiscal year, so it by definition will solve the issue [[if one even exists).

And, again, not a penny of taxpayer dollars goes to Gracie Mansion. It's entirely funded by a private foundation.

[dcmorrison12]

From Crawford - "NYC has a $50 billion dollar budget, so multi-billion isn't as much as it sounds in that context.

And, unlike Detroit, NYC is required to have a balanced budget at the end of each fiscal year, so it by definition will solve the issue [[if one even exists).

And, again, not a penny of taxpayer dollars goes to Gracie Mansion. It's entirely funded by a private foundation. "

So silly of me. How could I ever have thought that any city with a MASSIVE deficit could somehow not be in good financial shape. By your logic, it's OK that NYC, or any of the other major cities [[like Chicago) are facing HUGE deficits. B

By your logic, you'd explain it simply as "They are not Detroit, and therefore, it's simply ok"

So silly of me....

Oh, and Crawford. Michigan has to have a balanced budget every year as well, by law. Hmmm... seems to do us a lot of good, doesn't it...

[Novine]

I don't think the city has the option of selling the mansion. If the city doesn't retain it, it would return to the Manoogian family. That might be better than keeping it but a sale isn't an option as far as I know.

[swingline]

Presumably the $160K also includes the cost of 24/7 security at the residence. Which brings up a question: is the city providing Mayor Bing with 24/7 security at his eastside place? If so, it would appear that total cumulative security costs could be reduced if Mr. Bing lived at the Manoogian.

Side note: is it safe to assume that Mr. Bing has found it unnecessary to retain the excessively sized security entourage enjoyed by the former Mayor? 4-6 bodyguards and 3-4 car motorcades are out, right?

[REL]

Novine & swingline, you read my mind, lol.

I too thought that the Manoogian was bound by deed restriction and cannot be sold by the city. And like Swingline, I wondered if the $160,000 included security, which must always be present. Salaries can contribute easily to that figure. Not to mention, it's a historic building with a pool, boat house, and manicured grounds. All of those factors aren't inexpensive.

But that's still about $440 per day. Couldn't the city make up for some of that by renting it for special events and private meetings? That would add it's own expense as well, but it could definately generate some revenue.

[softailrider]

Why does it cost $160,000.00 to maintain the residence? No house note. No property taxes. Utilities and ground maintenance can't cost that much.

I agree, 160,000.00 sounds way too damm high to me.

[kraig]

I agree, 160,000.00 sounds way too damm high to me.

Exactly, with the mayor and his family not residing there, you don't need police officers at the Manoogian. At most, you can get by with 1 security guard per shift.

[Gistok]

Crawford, besides the deed restrictions on the house that was donated to the city by the late Alex Manoogian [[father of Detroit's greatest living art patron and Masco Chairman... Richard Manoogian)... there are other nuances that you wouldn't even fathom....

1) Richard Manoogian has one of the 10 largest private collections of art in the country... piss him off... and the city stands the risk of saying bye-bye DIA donations [[does the name Charles Lang Freer ring a bell?) Some of Manoogian's artwork items are worth $10M+.

2) the late mayor Coleman Young expanded the size of the Manoogian property by taking part of a neighboring riverfront park and expanding the mansion land [[and buildings/infrastructure). If the city decided to "decommission" the Manoogian mansion as the mayoral residence... the mansion would likely revert back to the Manoogian family, and the city would likely have a costly reclamation of city park land to take care of.

I believe this is an example of where the term "penny wise, pound foolish" is very applicable...