Toledo didn't lose Bass Pro to Rossford becaue Bass Pro was never interested in Toledo. In order to lose, Toledo would have had to be competing with Wood County, and that wasn't the case although Toledo thought it was a competition.
And besides, because of the economic development agreement Toledo has with Rossford, Toledo will still be getting some greenbacks from the Bass Pro.
When the Bass Pro president visited the area back in January, he was here to see Wood County not Toledo. The Bass Pro president simply did Toledo a favor by looking over the Marina District. The Bass Pro president was just being nice, but he didn't like the huge publicity production Toledo gave him.
January 25, 2006 WTVG story:
"Carty heard Bass Pro was coming to look at a spot in Wood County so he didn't waste any time in setting up billboards, helicopter rides, artist renderings and even a high school band."
See, the Bass Pro president was here to see Wood County not Toledo.
Here's a little more info from a February 2006 comment about an "Eye on Toledo" show that Bob Frantz partially devoted to Bass Pro and Wood County.
"Bob said the Bass Pro president was NOT impressed [nor] pleased with Toledo's red carpet treatment at the end of January with the marching band, the billboards, McCloskey giving the prez the kitchen sink, and the media attention. The Bass Pro president didn't want this crap."
"He wasn't in northwest Ohio to see Toledo. He was here to see the land out in the Crossroads area of Rossford. He was doing Toledo a favor by taking some time to see the Marina District, but he wanted the Toledo visit to be low-profiled."
"Frantz's starter info on Friday confirmed my hunch that northern Wood County is the preferred place in the mind of the Bass Pro president. Bob said Wood County and Bass Pro have had discussions for 14 years, and the discussions have grown more serious over the past 2 1/2 years."
"Bob also mentioned that Rossford and Toledo have had a joint economic development zone agreement since 1991. Bob said no one in the Ford administration was aware of this agreement."
"Bob said Bass Pro is highly interested in being close to the intersection of I-80 and I-75."
posted by jr at 02:39 P.M. EST on Fri Oct 20, 2006 #
"Economic development" programs are scams. Government not only gives up a lot of potential tax revenue, but it tends to spend a lot of money enacting such programs ... all to persuade a company to stay, relocate or establish itself. The end product is a business elite who pay anywhere from little tax, to no tax, to gaining income from the government subsidies ... while the bulk of the weight of providing wealth to run the nation falls upon the working man (who doesn't have the money to structure his finances to escape taxation).
Anyhoo, Bass Pro had to go somewhere. Should every other municipality fire the guy who was assigned to woo them? How very hypercapitalist a notion that is! "Be number one or you're fired."
I hardly disagree that Carty is a boob in general terms and is not even fit to run a Jiffy Lube, much less a $200M city government. But by being the city's "economic development director" (i.e. Chief Con-Artist), at least he saved the city the money of hiring some OTHER twitfück for around $100K/yr.
posted by GuestZero at 12:07 P.M. EST on Sat Oct 21, 2006 #
I disagree that Toledo was a site under consideration also. I don't fault the Mayor for going out and grabbing them to see IF we could get Toledo on their map of potential sites - as a matter of fact, I'd be mad if he hadn't made the attempt - or a councilman.
posted by katie82640 at 01:16 P.M. EST on Sat Oct 21, 2006 #
November 15, 2006 WSPD story:
"Rossford City Administrator Ed Ciecka confirms Bass Pro has committed to buying nearly 250 acres in the city's "Crossroads of America" site for a new $50 million store."
Almost 250 acres, that's one reason why Bass Pro was never serious about downtown Toledo because the Marina District land is "only" 125 acres in size.
posted by jr at 07:08 P.M. EST on Wed Nov 15, 2006 #
Well, Jr, just look at Cabela's. The footprint of their parking lots must be visible from orbit.
I'd be interested in finding out how this sale is supposedly proceeding. As usual, I suspect the hand of government will be involved, since we can hardly expect a poor lil' corporation to pay a market rate for land!
posted by GuestZero at 12:13 P.M. EST on Thu Nov 16, 2006 #
Well if this place buys land, builds their own facility and pays taxes - I vote to send Toledo out there to see how it's done.
posted by katie82640 at 04:01 P.M. EST on Thu Nov 16, 2006 #
Bass Pro won't be paying all the taxes you'd think:
Wood County offers Bass Pro tax rebate
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060918/NEWS18/60918010
"Wood County commissioners this morning agreed to offer Bass Pro Outdoor World LLC a 50 percent rebate on the county’s 1 percent sales tax that would be collected at the megasports outfitter’s proposed new store in Rossford.
The rebate would last for eight years or until Bass Pro had recouped its development costs for the $50 million retail store, restaurant, boat dealership, and educational center."
There's another $50mil that individual property taxes will have to make up since the gigantic Welfare Queen (Bass Pro) isn't doing it.
posted by GuestZero at 04:41 P.M. EST on Thu Nov 16, 2006 #
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