In today's Telegram.
Topping that list is transferring the control and title of Worcester Regional Airport to the Massachusetts Port Authority, which currently manages the facility under an operating agreement with the city. By transferring control and title of the airport to Massport, Mr. O’Brien said, the city would save about $750,000 annually. That is roughly what the city has to pay to cover its share of the airport’s operating deficit.
Mr. O’Brien emphasized that negotiations with Massport about such a takeover are still ongoing. He said the city simply can no longer afford to be in the airport business.
Note the key word above being "title", which does not mean lease but outright sale. I am not necessarily against this, but we need to make sure we receive fair market value. How do you know what fair market value us? In real estate you retain a broker, put a "For Sale" sign up on your house, advertise it in the Sunday papers and place it on the MLS. Would you only talk to your next door neighbor about taking title to your house?
In other words, if we need to sell the airport, lets put in on E-bay (half-kiddin), runs stories in all the major media outlets. Basically do all the things if you were going to sell your house today.
Same Time Next Year
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It’s been nearly a year since I wrote about the problems that come from
having 11 bosses who are not on the same page about anything, as well as
suggestion...
5 months ago
8 comments:
We should have looked at other options but I will take a fuctioning airport as fair market value. Massport could loosen its delay problems with some of it's smaller planes flying from ORH. Massport also will be able to compete with Providence and Manchester and win back those passengers who fly from those airports.
Tim:
If nothing else the track history the past ten years shows that the City of Worcester does not belong in the airport business. In addition I truly believe MassPort, under a long-term lease or outright sale, will make ORH an asset versus a liability.
My only concern now is that we get fair market value for ORH and do not relinquish it for pennies on the dollar.
Bill
What if there was something in the sale about the city receiving a portion of profits once things get turned around. Or a $1 per passenger, even a 100k per year would be a nice profit.
Tim:
GREAT idea.
Tim that sounds good in theory, but if I give or lease you my apple tree (even for short money), it's really a bit of a stretch to say I want to be able to keep a dozen of the apples for myself every year.
Again, good thought, but either we cut and run up there or we hang on. Shouldnt be any 1/2 way deals that just muddy the waters
IMO.
mauzywnThey (Massport ) gets the property to get it off our books. That's small change for Massport. Because it is in the middle of the city and they get it for chump change, we share in the growth. I don't think that is bad policy at all. Everybody wins!!
Tom, come on now. You cannot be serious. How is the city a winner, financially when we hand off an airport assessed at $30M to Massport for what it is alleged will be really, really short money?
The heck with renaming Worc Airport Boston-Worc Metro Airport. We should:
1. call it the Second Baptist Metro Airport of Worcester,
2. relocate it to Summer St,
3. hand it off for chump change to a third party,
4. then sit idly by whilst the third makes a small fortune off it.
5. 5 years later call in the barristers to see if we can unravel the bad deal that we made.
6. take it back via eminent domain.
7. then get successfully sued for inadequately compensating private owners in an eminent domain condemnation.
A recurring bad dream entitled "Municipal MisManagemnt 101"
Worc. loses big time, I dont care what bennies Massport brings with it. And BTW, I am from Missouri as far as Massport being any kind of a savior for OH. I could list off all the deals & projects over the last few decades that were going to saviors for the city.
A few that immediately come to mind:
1. The Worcester Center Mall.
2. The DCU center.
3. Union Station.
4. A new Airport terminal
There are others but I cannot recall all of them
Funny story about Brian Martin
A couples of weeks after his second marriage his wife Jane stormed out of the house (her house) and drove away.
Brian called his mommy .
Did't want to say anything so they could work things outand didn't want Jane to get mad at Brian's mother for telling everybody---after all a 48 year old man cryin' to his mommy!!!, but what the hell if it happened to someone else Brian would have thought it was funny.
signed
What the hell--
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