Don Gadd
Mayor of Byesville
Last week in this column, I spoke of confidence and self reliance as the keys to getting us out of the funk the country seems to be in. It is my firm belief that if each community took it upon themselves to enhance the opportunities of job growth it would happen, and happen to such an extent that our economy would shed off it's current sluggishness and get back to business.
But, every once in a while, it feels like you get kicked in the head no matter how hard you work to make things favorable to create business.
One such example is the current Plastech building.
While others have long since walked away or put the place on the back burner, I have kept up with the calls and worked on generating interest in starting something new there. One complication has been the total lack of information coming our way from the bankruptcy court or those involved with it. At the very least, it has been very discouraging to be constantly banging our heads against the wall.
Over this past week, we did learn that the appointed Realtor in charge of the sale was dealing with a local to buy it.
Others had expressed interest but could get no where because of the veil of secrecy around this deal. Needless to say, once contact was established, this group was told that a contract for sale had been sent out.
Reportedly, the property was going for $9 to $10 per square foot ($1.5 to $1.75 million). Trust me, it would be hard to build a shed for $10 per square foot.
Upon learning of this a representative of a potential group to put a plastics plant back in was sent to talk to the purchaser. He was told that the building would be used for "light industrial" another euphemism for warehousing.
The ten or so presses and what ever other steel in the building would be sent to the scrapper to recoup the purchaser's cost of the building. From reports I have heard this would amount to about $800 thousand.
But, more importantly, it means this building would never be used for plant again without significant money being spent.
What a waste this would be both to future jobs and the health and security of those here in the village.
I am sending a copy of this to the Detroit Free Press, our congressman, and senator to express my complete dissatisfaction with how the U.S. bankruptcy courts operate when there are so many people's lives at stake. At the very least these multi-state and national companies should be made to have live auctions in the communities they just tried to destroy.
Like I have said for the last several months, this has been a well thought out bankruptcy by all parties involved including the court system.
Maybe it is time to rope them in like wall street and make them answerable to the people whose lives they just dumped on.
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