In 2011, Former City of Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez convinced a gullible majority of his fellow city commissioners that they should approve a 12.3 million Certificate of Obligation issue to speculate in downtown real estate in downtown Brownsville.
One of the justifications he gave them was that by offering the real-estate and buildings there would lure the University of Texas System to move into downtown and keep them here. And so they approved the issue of a $13.06 million in Certificates of Obligation that included $2.3 million for the purchase of the Casa del Nylon on 1304 E. Madison and the adjoining building and property next door at 655 E. 14th Street, among others.
The purchase of the building was riddled with underhanded - if not criminal - dealings.
When District 1 commissioner Ricardo Longoria found out that Martinez's law partner Horacio Barrera represented the seller in the transaction, he wrote a local blog:
"For the record: I did not know that Abraham Galonsky was represented by Horacio Barrera. The only reason I voted for the acquisition of the property was because of the location and its proximity to the Multimodal BUS Facility and the fact that in the future Galonsky would probably ask for more than what he is right now.
"There are many things going on in this city that had not happened in a very long time," Longoria complained. "Many dealings are going on behind closed doors, contracts are being signed by an elected official without the consent of the City Commission or City Manager," he wrote.
After the fact, commissioners fund out had all been a hoax. UT had wanted nothing to do with the building. Instead, they moved the bulk of the campus to Edinburg and relegated the Brownsville campus to a satellite, a return to the Pan American University scheme 20 years before.
Since then - some eight years ago - the city has sought a use for the shell of the building that over time has become a magnet for the increasing number of homeless now wandering around the core of the downtown area. It was going to be a firefighter training center, a one-stop city services center, a storage area for city equipment, etc.
But time and the elements have taken their toll on the 52-year-old building, and in March 2017 local architect Roberto Ruiz was hired at $100,000 to design a new roof, an elevator, and fire suppressing system to make to the building habitable.
Nothing ever came to fruition. Now, with Martinez and Longoria on their way out as a result of the recent city commission elections, yet another tax-funded entity has come up with another plan to throw money at the inmueble to try to salvage the white elefante.
Now comes the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation which has already plunked the cash to do a environmental assessment to transform the building into a one-stop resource center, but not for city services, but for business entrepreneurs.
Next comes the architectural and engineering studies on the vacant building and a fervent hope that their application to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) will be approved to "help the economic development organization" cover the cost of renovating the building.
Funny. We were always under the impression that the BCIC - unlike the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation - was charged with funding quality of life improvements, not economic development. But hey, it's all in the interpretation, right?
And if the DEA cash doesn't come through, BCIC Executive Director Josh Mejia told the local daily that the corporation will go at it alone and damn the torpedoes.
“...Regardless of EDA funding, the BCIC board has already committed to ensuring that we finance the entire project. If EDA does not come through, we will still be able to sustain the development of that project.”
In a spiel reminiscent of Gilbert Salinas of the defunct Brownsville Economic Development corporation, Mejia (b'Josh) throws out all the eco-dev catchwords and gobbledygook. With Gilbert everything was a "game changer" and spending money would guarantee Brownsville a "seat at the table."
The center, he says: will be devoted to: "creating a pipeline of scalable businesses," "commercial ventures capable of multiplying revenue with minimal investment," (like the original use of La Casa del Nylon?), and "house resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses, such as nonprofit micro-lenders and entities that assist with patent rights, trademarks and assorted legal services."
There's more. There's "an incubator component for nurturing start-up businesses," in collaboration with the city, the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Women’s Business Center Rio Grande Valley.
B'Josh's plans calls for UTRGV’s Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center incubator to move into the center and lays out four key strategic goals, starting with “investment in our community that creating new jobs.”
The he really gets going. He tells the local daily that "the plan calls for creating a space for entrepreneurs to pursue development for start-ups and business expansion opportunities, helping small businesses overcome funding challenges, creating business-friendly policies and investment opportunities, and leveraging incentives and grants for small businesses....and
“marketing the bi-national region as a business-friendly zone” marketing Brownsville as a business and entrepreneurship hub, focusing on business retention and recruitment, and promoting the region’s multicultural aspect to domestic and international entrepreneurs through a bilingual campaign."
Whoo! But there's more.
Mejia said the hope is that eBridge will work for entrepreneurs on both sides of the border.
“We’re working with our Mexican partners to be able to find a link between their innovation center, INDEX Matamoros (Maquiladora Association of Matamoros), and figuring out a way to provide them with a space in the center, so whatever innovation occurs on the other side, those businesses can start on this side of the border,” he said.
“We want to be able to foster that synergy to benefit the entrepreneurs of both regions.”
Brownsville has always found a way to salvage things, it appears. We salvage old ships at the port's ship wreckers , recycle clothing in segundas, recycle used tires in llanteras, and once n a while salvage recycled politicians.
But there is a also a political component to this.
We will now have a Galonsky on the city commission with a vote on the project. And her father now sits on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Is the family legacy considered a personal interest? If so, will they be allowed to vote on issues related to salvaging their former building in light of all the negative publicity that their sale of the Casa at an inflated price shed upon their name?
Is this a case of throwing good money after bad, or can that be considered part of our salvaging culture?
One of the justifications he gave them was that by offering the real-estate and buildings there would lure the University of Texas System to move into downtown and keep them here. And so they approved the issue of a $13.06 million in Certificates of Obligation that included $2.3 million for the purchase of the Casa del Nylon on 1304 E. Madison and the adjoining building and property next door at 655 E. 14th Street, among others.
When District 1 commissioner Ricardo Longoria found out that Martinez's law partner Horacio Barrera represented the seller in the transaction, he wrote a local blog:
"For the record: I did not know that Abraham Galonsky was represented by Horacio Barrera. The only reason I voted for the acquisition of the property was because of the location and its proximity to the Multimodal BUS Facility and the fact that in the future Galonsky would probably ask for more than what he is right now.
"There are many things going on in this city that had not happened in a very long time," Longoria complained. "Many dealings are going on behind closed doors, contracts are being signed by an elected official without the consent of the City Commission or City Manager," he wrote.
After the fact, commissioners fund out had all been a hoax. UT had wanted nothing to do with the building. Instead, they moved the bulk of the campus to Edinburg and relegated the Brownsville campus to a satellite, a return to the Pan American University scheme 20 years before.
Since then - some eight years ago - the city has sought a use for the shell of the building that over time has become a magnet for the increasing number of homeless now wandering around the core of the downtown area. It was going to be a firefighter training center, a one-stop city services center, a storage area for city equipment, etc.
But time and the elements have taken their toll on the 52-year-old building, and in March 2017 local architect Roberto Ruiz was hired at $100,000 to design a new roof, an elevator, and fire suppressing system to make to the building habitable.
Nothing ever came to fruition. Now, with Martinez and Longoria on their way out as a result of the recent city commission elections, yet another tax-funded entity has come up with another plan to throw money at the inmueble to try to salvage the white elefante.
Now comes the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation which has already plunked the cash to do a environmental assessment to transform the building into a one-stop resource center, but not for city services, but for business entrepreneurs.
Next comes the architectural and engineering studies on the vacant building and a fervent hope that their application to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) will be approved to "help the economic development organization" cover the cost of renovating the building.
Funny. We were always under the impression that the BCIC - unlike the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation - was charged with funding quality of life improvements, not economic development. But hey, it's all in the interpretation, right?
And if the DEA cash doesn't come through, BCIC Executive Director Josh Mejia told the local daily that the corporation will go at it alone and damn the torpedoes.
“...Regardless of EDA funding, the BCIC board has already committed to ensuring that we finance the entire project. If EDA does not come through, we will still be able to sustain the development of that project.”
In a spiel reminiscent of Gilbert Salinas of the defunct Brownsville Economic Development corporation, Mejia (b'Josh) throws out all the eco-dev catchwords and gobbledygook. With Gilbert everything was a "game changer" and spending money would guarantee Brownsville a "seat at the table."
The center, he says: will be devoted to: "creating a pipeline of scalable businesses," "commercial ventures capable of multiplying revenue with minimal investment," (like the original use of La Casa del Nylon?), and "house resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses, such as nonprofit micro-lenders and entities that assist with patent rights, trademarks and assorted legal services."
There's more. There's "an incubator component for nurturing start-up businesses," in collaboration with the city, the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Women’s Business Center Rio Grande Valley.
B'Josh's plans calls for UTRGV’s Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center incubator to move into the center and lays out four key strategic goals, starting with “investment in our community that creating new jobs.”
The he really gets going. He tells the local daily that "the plan calls for creating a space for entrepreneurs to pursue development for start-ups and business expansion opportunities, helping small businesses overcome funding challenges, creating business-friendly policies and investment opportunities, and leveraging incentives and grants for small businesses....and
“marketing the bi-national region as a business-friendly zone” marketing Brownsville as a business and entrepreneurship hub, focusing on business retention and recruitment, and promoting the region’s multicultural aspect to domestic and international entrepreneurs through a bilingual campaign."
Whoo! But there's more.
Mejia said the hope is that eBridge will work for entrepreneurs on both sides of the border.
“We’re working with our Mexican partners to be able to find a link between their innovation center, INDEX Matamoros (Maquiladora Association of Matamoros), and figuring out a way to provide them with a space in the center, so whatever innovation occurs on the other side, those businesses can start on this side of the border,” he said.
“We want to be able to foster that synergy to benefit the entrepreneurs of both regions.”
Brownsville has always found a way to salvage things, it appears. We salvage old ships at the port's ship wreckers , recycle clothing in segundas, recycle used tires in llanteras, and once n a while salvage recycled politicians.
But there is a also a political component to this.
We will now have a Galonsky on the city commission with a vote on the project. And her father now sits on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Is the family legacy considered a personal interest? If so, will they be allowed to vote on issues related to salvaging their former building in light of all the negative publicity that their sale of the Casa at an inflated price shed upon their name?
Is this a case of throwing good money after bad, or can that be considered part of our salvaging culture?
17 comments:
tear it down and make a parking lot, y se acabo. Why continue wasting taxpayer money???
Nothing changes in Brownsville. It never will. The cockroach likes its present environment.
If Trump loses the election he will whine and stamp his feet, right up until inauguration day. As soon as the next president is sworn in Trump will be on a chartered jet to Moscow, claiming that he is forced to flee the country because everyone is against him and life is unfair.
Wasn't this plan for Casa del Nylon deviced under the majority controlled by Mike Hernandez and his new puppet city manager. Yea it is a disaster. Eating the loss and making another parking lot may be the best deal. Galonsky did screw the city. But the fact is this plan was devised when Mike Hernandez had control over the city commission and city manager.
Mr. Facts
The new city commissioners court: Rata, rata, rata, rata, rata, rata, rata. And the city of Brownsville residents:IDIOTS
BMFA calls for art work on resacas pinches idiotas don't we have other more important pressing issues like POT HOLES infrastrature traffic conrol etc etc etc
It's Trump's fault!
These so call political leaders should be held accountable for making real estate purchases that were way over their appraised value. There is a state or federal law that phroibits goverment entities from doing just that.. Total waste of taxpayers monies. The only ones that benefited were the sellers, glad that the Mayor and other commissioners did not get reelected.
Buy another building so she can get re-elected los piojos no votan...
If there is a law about land deals someone needs to look into land purchases completed within the last six months at every public funded entity not just the commission
Prosecute Tony Martinez!!!
BCIC is funded for community development not economic development, seems that this corporation dosent follow its own bylaws. Or is it politically motivated? Either way, that is misused of taxpayers monies.
This was ex mayor tony (el Raton) martinez deal, its pure fraud, should be charged with fraud or misuse of municipal funds along with Mr. Galonsky too y al bote con el tamps governor hernandez los dos.
And the community rewards this Galonsky/Martinez scam by electing Galonsky ‘s daughter? Who are the PENDEJOS here. We best keep on eye on this new city commissioner.
Casa de Nylon has become a "white elephant" compliments of Tony Martinez. The community has to eat the $2.3 million that Tony paid, but it will never, ever be worth that amount. Thank goodness Tony is leaving office, but he is leaving a legacy of terrible investments, little or no economic progress from his 8 years of mismanagement and lack of leadership ability. Let's hope the city can recover from Tony and take a more positive path in the future under new management.
@1:42...Dont blame the daughter for the father being greedy. And to be honest, I don't blame Galonsky for selling his building for that high amount. I blame the Mayor and commissioners for allowing it to happen. I also blame the people for voting for him the second time and the people that didn't go out to vote. Hopefully, this new Mayor can fix what Martinez and Cabler did to this city.
tHE OFF-WHITE MAYOR EL COCO WILL NOT FIX ANYTHING CUT FROM THE SAME ZARAPE
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