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A recent Quad-Cities Daily article stated of the Slag: Last year there were a number of very successful music concerts there.
A reader has challenged this and asked: Can we Please get the mayor or city clerk to say how much money the city has received from these successful concerts ?? I know they have many years of payments to make.
The QCD is correct that there were a number of concerts there. The number was three (3). Due to problems with the venue opening, the first concert was free. The second and third? We're not privy to the amount of money taken in, but we certainly had readers from the Rivermont and Village areas complaining about the traffic; therefore, we believe, considering the primitive state of the venue, these concerts did make money...for someone.
Almost two months before the Slag opened near the end of August 2021, the City of Sheffield had enacted fees of $1.00 per concert ticket sold at any IL venue. Did the Slag owner Scott Michael or promoter Chris Ewing ever pay these fees?
We're now to understand that Scott (Rooster) Michael is no longer associated in any way with IL. We don't know the status of Chris Ewing. We do predict that we'll hear his name again once (and if) any new construction is begun.
Now we're told that owner John Elkington wants more infrastructure added to the resort property in order to attract more businesses. Hold that thought for early next year when Elkington indicates new construction will begin.
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From what I can see Sheffield has spent a lot of money to develop a nice place for the criminal element to hang around. The only deterrence would be the extra patrol by Sheffield Police, as if they needed anything else to do. While there is no contractual method to recover the land from John Elkington, there is always one option available, albeit unpopular with most people. Sheffield, at some expense, could proceed to condemn the land through eminent domain.
ReplyDeleteThe primary purpose of eminent domain is reclaiming property for the good of the people. I certainly see no good coming from the existing “sit and wait” scenario. However, if Sheffield had the resources they would have a nice start to a nice public facility. No, it wouldn’t be cheap.
The venue previously known as “The Slag” would make a nice place for the parks and recreation department to show summer movies. They could ramp up the parks department to make a nice park there. The town could search for grants to do some kind of development down the other road to nowhere.
Every idea I conceive requires additional patrol and upkeep. How is that different from where we are right now? Maybe the city leaders should start setting some deadlines and at least point out the options. It won’t stop the bleeding, but we might be able to reuse some of the blood.
We always appreciate Mr. Daily's comments. He has some ideas here that have not been mentioned before. Everyone on Sheffield's council should take a hard look at their current options. This problem is not going to just disappear.
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