In fact, the UPoR headline is “likely dead.” Is this somehow surprising? Yes and no. No, in that the proposal by Brett Hesse’s group never really got over the giggle test, especially with its reliance on turning the site in part into a pricey tourist trap. Government entities are capable of massive denial though, so that alone wouldn’t have stopped the project (see: NASCAR Hall of Fame.) And a lot of people on the east side want to see this happen. Which gets us to why this is rather shocking — all that Hesse had to do is play along, give the city the numbers they were looking for, and not piss anyone off down at city hall. Obviously, he massively failed in his recent dealings with the city. PR and star power will only get you so far. At some point, you do have to show at least some money and have at least a semblance of a coherent business plan, and it’s become painfully clear recently that Hesse has neither.
by Michael Lowrey