The deal on kicking the Knox County Schools out of its home of 25 plus years and down the street is beginning to reveal more and more secret back room dealings and the stink is getting worse.
So apparently the interim UT President Randy Boyd wants to move the UT Presidential Office off the UT campuses. There is apparently not enough office space on any campus across TN. According to sources the deal has been done for a while that the UT Executive offices will occupy the top six floors of the East Tower and the Knox Schools will occupy the bottom six floors all while the East Tower will be under the control of the TVA, a federal government agency.
Do not buy into the propaganda that the AJ Building will be back on the tax rolls. The developer is expected to receive a PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) so no tax benefit will be received by the tax payers in most 60 year old taxpayers lives. *I received a comment that the developer will pay about $50,000 a year on the $6 million dollar purchase and over a course of 20 year PILOT, it would be about a $1 million, so in 20 years we recoup $1 million of a $13 million relocation. Alright!
If the idea is to develop downtown than the County should sell the AJ Building along with the City County Building. Buy East Towne Mall/Knoxville Centre and move everything out there with free parking. The area immediately adjacent to the mall has the restaurant and amenities to serve the employees and visitors of the offices.
If Downtown is so liveable, by the time the AJ Building gets close to being on the tax roll, 25-30 years. Some developer will want the East Tower for residential development and the Schools will be forced to move again.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs inherited this concept from the previous Mayor the Finance Director, that serves Jacobs and the the previous Mayor had a personal friend working on the County payroll that I was told at the time was working as an analyst on this deal, read this KnoxNews related story. When I requested work product for this employee none was available.
The following County Commissioners are running on the Primary Election ballot for re-election March 3, 2020 they are expected to make this costly decision at the October 28, 2019 meeting. Contact them to let them know, it’s your money and to tread cautiously.
Brad Anders *ineligible School Board Member Terry Hill is running for the Seat.
and the School Board Members running for re-election are
So you sell the building you own, to rent a building you will never own. You pay $13 million for paint and carpets, which should cost less than $800,000. Then you give a TIF of twenty years on the $13 million.
And you sell the AJ building to some idiots from Nashville who get a bigger and longer TIF. And you sell the building for millions less than it is worth.
And Mike Arms set the deal up.
See you at the polls in 2020 if you vote for this turkey elected Reps. Isn’t it about time for Chris Caldwell to be Riffed? If the chief finance guy does this kind of work he doesn’t need a job in Knox County.