MASON CITY – The Mason City council approved a deal with Gatehouse Mason City, LLC, for a hotel and an out-of-town architect to design an arena inside Southbridge Mall.
The deal with Gatehouse Mason City, LLC, passed 5-1 with councilman Joshua Masson against.
The deal with ICON Architectural Group, LLC, out of North Dakota, passed 6-0. It was said during the meeting that local architects had been passed over by City Hall for consideration in this plan.
A Mason City property owner and long-time citizen who watched the council meeting from start to finish told NIT, “What I watched was pretty much astounding. The lies, half-baked truths, and self-serving statements that sputtered out of the mouths of most nearly everyone that spoke at the meeting – including elected officials – was staggering. The few truth-tellers with common sense were ignored. The lack of foresight and planning to please state officials, local officials and un-elected influencers and players who stand to gain wealth and ice time, was palpable in this outcome. The soap opera continues. Let us pray the taxpayers and the community as a whole reap a decent outcome in the near future.”
Gatehouse will get a check for $100,000 from the City of Mason City to get started with their process of hotel design and planning.
Plans for the so-called “multi-use” arena in the mall will begin to be drawn up.
As the City prepares to inject millions of dollars in upgrades to the mall (arena and pavilion), City officials do not seem to be concerned that the owner of Southbridge Mall possibly broke laws in writing checks that bounced to cover overdue taxes.
The Mason City police department told NIT that no one has contacted them about the alleged bad checks submitted by Southbridge Mall Realty Holding, LLC, although the county attorney’s office may be investigating. The county appears to be pursuing legal action and a possible tax sale early in December of the Southbridge Mall property.
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20 thoughts on “Mason City council approves deal with Gatehouse and arena architect”
You idiots voted for the idiots that run your town. Why are you bitching and complaining online- it won’t make a difference. You fools should have either run for office yourselves or taken a stance to vote out the morons in place. Quit whining and crying and get your stupid asses up and take back your town that you gave away and run it like the way a town should be run. Stupid complacent fools. It’s you the voters that are to blame!
Those that run the city obviously don’t care about the vast bulk of the citizens. This has been a joke from the start. I advise individuals banding together to pepper the State funding folks with why this is a BAD idea. Of course the fix could well be in at the State level too.
Ezekiel, the only thing I can figure is the Schickel’s and uncaring councilman keep getting elected so these jerks just keep plowing ahead without any rhyme or reason or the long term negative fallout from their actions. The people in the cheap seats just keep getting screwed over.
Why???
We have no press and what little we have is not honest with the folks. NIT does not reach the people in the cheap seats and most people are very uninformed. The elite like it that way.
We “the little people” lose.
Your idea to “ban” together is good but it takes a leader. Currently Mason City does not have that. Sad!
Hockey may be good for some kids but it does not include benefits to the majority of our kids.
With that said, Max Weaver offered a much more viable and economical solution for a hockey rink and arena. Offer financial help for the arena to be built on the west side near the fair grounds for millions less.
Hotels and ancillary amenities will be built as needed “free enterprise” without the need for tax dollars. Let profit determine the need and let competition decide what and when hotels or anything else should be built.
The biggest mistake in this whole debacle is putting it in a failed downtown. The downtown will ultimately drag the arena down. If it would be built where on the west side it would off much more future opportunity.
Mason City’s downtown was destroyed decades ago when the loop was created. Now it’s a black hole that is nothing more than a money pit we keep throwing money into. About 80 million dollars over the last 40 years and it’s failed to revive the downtown. This next 40 million dollars will also end up a bad investment in a pipe dream.
Mason City is “blowing in the wind”!
Time to end all my business ties to the Chamber and seriously think of moving my business to Clear Lake
This project was the final nail in the coffin for us. Our property taxes DOUBLED over the last 10 years. Enough was enough and we sold out and moved completely out of the grasp of Mason City and it’s negative, rudderless leadership.
Yep proprty tax has doubled, and my property value stayed the same.
One more fact that should not be overlooked! The “sales” value of your home when you go to sell has also went DOWN! That is why your “assessed” value for “tax” purposes has not went up!
In Mason City the citizens lose on every front!
You have hit the nail on the head. The problem here is with the Chamber of Horrors who manipulate the city council.
We left in the early 90″s and it wasn’t good then!…..no regrets!
What happen to the money we already gave Gateway? Is MAson City really this stupid?
Sad to say but…you ain’t seen nothing yet!
This will be the bankruptcy of Mason City, all to play hockey
Don’t forget figure-skating. Greedy rich who want their little darlings to have a nice place to skate, but don’t way to pay for themselves.
Is this corruption? Desperation? A farce? In broad daylight! Please someone call Attorney General Miller for investigation on Monday!
These leaders are KILLING this city!! It will be a dried up ghost town in the future….it’s already showing!
The citizens of M.C. are going to get this cluster f**k crammed down their throats and the added debt to their future taxes whether they oppose it or not! And you SHOULD oppose it! And your fearless leaders SHOULD listen! Robin,Slick Willie,Little John,honest Wright, Aaron and the rest of the gang of thieves won’t quit until they get their cash cow rolling and their bank accounts growing! They have been raping the taxpayers all along and will continue to do so. They aren’t looking out for the taxpayers or citizens
that’s pretty obvious! Need to send them ALL to prison!
Have fun with this crap, a good percentage of the towns citizens are already in process of moving. Me, my family, and several friends have already made the decision to leave this area after being here our whole lives. Its really sad that city officials allow this kind of nonsense to go on. No one in their right mind would go for this. Those who are for it are those who are up to their eyeballs in debt, and have no business telling others how to make or not make money. If you owe money to someone else for something, you don’t own it. So, needless to say, 17 of us are leaving that I know personally. Who knows how many others will decide the property taxes are not worth the cities constant disrepair, or the growing drug problems. Mix in mismanagement of money, and its a recipe for disaster.
I believe the north iowa area does need a new arena. The hockey program needs to get built back up and kids involved again. Many mis-truths about the hockey program and cost to enroll kids. Develop house leagues and the cost drops greatly. They can get more kids involved at lower cost if MCYH could get some support from the community and business. I am not saying money but positive engagement. More kids involved the lower cost per child.
With that said I CAN NOT support the vision or direction things are going now. To many shade groups involved. I would never work with an owner of the mall that is behind in taxes, writes 3 checks knowing he does not have the funds to cover them. Hotel developers that you can’t trust and would not trust. Music Man Square- how did they get into the mix, want to expand but are broke and can not maintain here building as is. Ask second floor renters about that. Not sure but I think the Mason City Chamber stuck there hand in it and that is the connection to Music Man. Chamber should be investigated for many things. Miss use if tax payer monies to start with. Wonder how many trips and events for the group have been paid by us, but in reality did not and will not benefit the area.
when that can of corned beef hash professed to speak for 24,000 employees of chamber members thats when I turn off the show what a crock do the lies ever end