Chad McWhinney Wrote; "I am writing to clarify misinformation that has shaped the perspective some have about Centerra..." Chad McWhinney Wrote: “First, some background on the public-private partnership between the city of Loveland and Centerra. When signed in 2004, the agreement included three key goals: bring jobs to Loveland…..” Not Exactly Of the approximately 52,959 words in the Master Financing Agreement (MFA) signed between Loveland and McWhinney in 2004, the word job doesn’t appear once nor is the word goal mentioned anywhere in the largely legal document governing the relationship. Chad McWhinney Wrote: “Thanks to the building of a 303-unit apartment complex, and updates at the intersection of I-25/Hwy 34 and I-25/Crossroads Boulevard, there also will be hundreds of well-paying construction jobs added in the area in the coming months.” Not Exactly Jalisco International, Inc. of Commerce City Colorado was awarded the contract to improve Crossroads Blvd. On Oct. 6, 2009 the Denver firm, New Design Construction, was selected to complete the limited improvements to the I-25 and Highway 34 interchange. Both companies will use existing employees from the Denver area. No conditions in the 2004 agreement or more recent and additional subsidies given McWhinney require them to hire loveland workers. A McWhinney representative at one council meeting even scoffed at the mere suggestion it be included as a condition. Chad McWhinney Wrote: "To date the partnership has contributed approximately $25 million of the $29 million designated for three much-needed regional road improvements.." Not Exactly McWhinney and the previous council amended the agreement to redefine what constituted "regional improvements" to include a Centerra road not hardly serving regional needs. In 2006 they also changed the agreement to allow funding from outside sources to satisfy McWhinney's obligations under the agreement. The $25 million McWhinney is claiming credit for includes other moneys not contributed by the "partnership." Crossroads improvements are mostly being paid by federal funds ($4.2 million from stimulus and other federal funds) while McWhinney's taxing district was dragged kicking and screaming to fund even the smallest road improvements to the I-25/U.S. 34. Chad McWhinney Wrote: On the I-25/Highway 34 improvements "...the city awarded the job to a contractor who bid $8.7 million. On top of that there will be nearly $300,000 of immediate ascetic improvements." Not Exactly The council DID NOT approve the additional $300,000 for ascetic improvements on Oct. 6, 2009 but only passed the $8.7 million per McWhinney's original request. The 2004 agreement with the city called for McWhinney's taxing district to fund $12.5 million in improvements to that interchange by 2010 and another $50 million by 2024. Loveland staff indicated the $8.7 is likely all the city should expect to be spent on that interchange. Chad McWhinney: "The McWhinney family has been a part of Loveland for six generations.." Not Exactly The McWhinney brothers grew-up in Southern California. Chad McWhinney has described himself as a native of Huntington Beach California. Similar claims of being developers concerned for their community have been used to promote a Garden Grove, California government subsidized project. Troy McWhinney lives in Ft. Collins and the other brothers still reside in California according to former McWhinney employees. |
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| Chad McWhinney's "Guest Column" Published Oct. 11, 2009 in the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald |