Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 7, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba B4 City / District Winnipeg free press wednesday july 7, 2004 developers water Park bid flawed Katz says mayor supports City officials rejection of proposal for old Arena by Aldo Santin the Toronto area Developer behind a water Park proposal for Winnipeg Arena says he was aware the documents he submit Ted did to meet the City a criteria but he still thinks his plan is the Best use for the building. Sieg Holle principal of Holl Crest & associates said he believes he submitted a legitimate offer to buy the Arena and he does to understand Why it has been rejected. If the City Felt there was something missing from my offer they should have said so at the Start Holle said in a Telephone interview from his Brantford ont., office. Its very unprofessional to keep the offer for four months and then say at the end that its not Holle said the City a requirement that every offer include a certified Cheque or letter of credit equal to 15 per cent of the Purchase Price was unnecessary. He said his firms offer included a statement that he would pro vide a letter of credit if the City accepted his submission. The City stated in its request for propos als that failure to submit a properly endorsed Deposit will negate the offer to this process is somewhat flawed Holle said. We gave them an offer we gave them a but mayor Sam Katz said City officials it want were right to reject the Holl Crest bid something adding no one could take it seriously. Katz said Holle called him yesterday that you could morning to complain about the situation Call an offer and he agreed to look into it. The mayor said Holles description of his offer did to ? Sam Katz jibe with documents his firm gave the City. There was some information that he shared with us and some pretty pictures Katz said of the Holl Crest bid. But it want something that you could Call an offer. Everything the administration has done with the Holl Crest proposal has been 100 per cent right Holle had admitted his firm never worked on a project so Large. At a news conference last month he said he would spend $26 million to convert the Arena into a water Park and the total investment could reach $80 million with the addition of two High Rise towers and an underground Parade. Holle said he normally converts abandoned factories into Condo minium complexes. No Deposit Katz said Holl Crest not Only failed to submit a Deposit it did to even fill out the offer to Purchase or have any official sign for its document package. I be been involved in offers to Purchase my entire adult life and i be never seen a legitimate one that did to have a signature on it the mayor said. Katz said the planning property and development commit tee will review the administrations report on the acceptable submitted bids for the Arena at a private meeting Friday and could decide then which to accept. A bid from an investment group that owns Polo Park shop Ping Centre is believed to be the leading candidate to get the Arena site. The investment group wants the City to demolish the Arena and it would buy the cleared five acre site for More retail development. Katz said there will be no attempt to Force the Holl Crest proposal or any other onto the committees Agenda for consideration. He said he thinks the City needs an indoor water Park and that he encourages Holl Crest and any other Developer with a viable proposal to make it a reality. police Hope arrests end purse snatching spree Winnipeg police Hope their recent arrest of two men and two women put an end to a mini crime police believe the group committed eight robberies on sat urday and sunday mostly by reaching from a moving vehicle to snatch purses from pedestrians const. Bob Johnson said yesterday. In one Case a 55-year-old woman was grabbed and dragged 30 feet Johnson said. In addition to the six alleged purse snatching police believe the suspects robbed Domo Gas bars on Portage and Ellice avenues Johnson said. Identification and credit cards from the stolen purses were used to make fraudulent purchases he said. Johnson cautioned the Public to make sure straps of purses or bags Are tucked in so they can to be easily snatched. Police checked a vehicle and made arrests sunday after spot Ting people acting suspiciously at a Mohawk Gas bar on Salter Street. Charged Are Nicole Lowen 32, of Winnipeg Larry Lucier 44, of no fixed address Alexander Rocha 26, of Winnipeg and Darlene Vivier 35, of Winnipeg. Each was charged with eight counts of robbery and three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card Johnson said. Vivier was also charged with pers nation and in connection with two outstanding warrants he said. There May be More arrests in connection with this investigation he said. Murray to speak on cities former mayor Glen Murray already has a speaking engage ment lined up to launch his new Post politics career. Murray is on the list of presenters at a conference next week in Toronto that will bring together 600 professionals to talk about Urban planning issues. The conference called 2004 moving minds our Urban Chal Lenge is jointly sponsored by the Canadian Institute of planners and the Ontario professional planners Institute. Murray son the speakers list along with Toronto mayor David Miller Ontario Public infrastructure renewal minister David Caplan and or. Avi Freedman director of the affordable Homes program at the Mcgill University school of architecture. Murray has said his Post politics plans include writing a Book and perhaps consulting ;