Our diamond-encrusted mayor giggles with giddy delight while accepting donations from each entity connected with the Lancaster Lofts project.

I seldom attend Board of Zoning Appeals meetings, but received a report from a friend who was there on Tuesday evening.

Up for a zoning variance was Progressive Land Development's "microloft project" at the former site of Tommy Lancaster's and Market Boy (northwest corner of Vincennes and Market).

55 one bedroom units ranging from 292sqf to 644sqf, and a whopping single retail unit that is 1300 sqf. Micro units to rent for planned $525 and the large units $825. Observe that 12x23 is smaller than a pull-behind camper.

Dude: that's almost as tiny as David Duggins' world view ... but I digress.

However this variance for the benefit of Progressive Land Development was not sought by the company itself, whose principal is a documented Gahan re-enthronement campaign donor.

Rather, Progressive's docket was handled by redevelopment director Josh Staten on behalf of Anchor City. Seems the municipality still owns the properties it purchased from the likes of Vinod Gupta and environmentally remediated.

Apparently someone asked Staten to enumerate the city's previous accumulated subsidies and investments in the project, but he replied that he didn't have those numbers. Obviously since the properties have yet to be sold to Progressive, we also don't know the sale price, either.

It also was revealed ...

 ... that HWC is the engineering firm of record and AXIS the architects. Both these firms are from Indianapolis, and yes Virginia, they've been pouring money into Gahan's pockets.

To conclude: The city's redevelopment department has picked a winner, and is running interference; the redevelopment director cannot cite relevant details at a variance hearing; and Gahan campaign donors are involved every step of the way, with ripened plums of the usual no-bid contracts awaiting them.

Nothing about this strikes me as transparent, and if I were to ask Democratic party functionaries to explain, the response is near certain: Yes, it's slimy but it's also standard operating procedure, and no one cares about the details as long as we keep moooooving forward; besides, the Republicans are worse.

This, then, is the extent of our degradation.

#FireGahan2019

Nice building in Providence RI. What's it have to do with Market & Vincennes?

Grassroots redevelopers buy "the worst house on the worst block." How's a self-respecting mayor to wet his beak on THAT?

Progressive Land Development proposes to reinvent the wheel at Lancaster Lofts as Deaf Gahan says wait, is that check in the mail yet?

Lancaster-themed "Micro Lofts" soon will inhabit Duggins' anchor wasteland at the corner of Market and Vincennes.

The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 2: Of fire stations, amphitheater studies and Axis Architecture and Interiors of Indianapolis.

Previously: The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 1: Mysterious CRS Marketing and the inevitable HWC Engineering tie-in.

Some people watch movies for fun, but during the coming weeks we'll be plucking highlights from eight years of the Committee to Elect Gahan's CFA-4 campaign finance reports. Strap in, folks -- and don't forget those air(head) sickness bags.

Preceding is the record of campaign donations made to Mayor Jeff Gahan by the Indianapolis firm Axis Architecture and Interiors from 2011 through 2018. The total is $11,750, and Axis is one of three Gahan donors uncovered so far to have contributed in each of the past eight years (the others are the Clark Dietz PAC and New Albany contractor Terry Ginkins, who since the public housing putsch has been an NAHA board member).

The total is $11,750. Axis lists New Albany's newest fire house among its completed projects.

It's probably just a flip-of-the-doubloon coincidence that Axis is to receive the impending contract for the "Axis Downtown Conceptual Design" expenditure, an amphitheater and levee parking vicinity study.

Ah, but design studies, consultations, engineering preliminaries ... they're all discretionary, courtesy of appointed boards. Whomever makes the (ahem) "best pitch" gets the contract.

If you have supplementary information to offer about any of this, please let us know and we'll update the page. The preceding was gleaned entirely from public records, with the addresses of "individuals" removed.

Next: The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 3: Eight-year donor Terry Ginkins and a consistency of beak-wetting.

Redevelopment on the down low as city officials say they're cooking up an amphitheater move or remodel, but even Irving Joshua says "not so fast."

Preceding is the record of campaign donations made to Mayor Jeff Gahan by the Indianapolis firm Axis Architecture and Interiors from 2011 through 2017, omitting 2012; I don't have the finance form for 2012, but I'm guessing a donation was made (in 2018, too).

The total is just shy of $10,000. Axis lists New Albany's newest fire house among its completed projects.

It's probably just a coincidence that Axis was to receive the contract for the amphitheater study (below), which was tabled yesterday.

The Green Mouse was told that Democratic Party chairman Adam Dickey, longtime redevelopment commission member, was especially keen to study SOMETHING right away.

The question: What exactly is being studied?

Relocate the current amphitheater?

Remodel it?

Build the parking garage plaza once minted for use by Mainland Properties as a collateral for condo construction?

Why was Dickey in such a hurry?

And, the biggest question of all: who's paying for it?

Just imagine an administration proposal so vague that even Irving Joshua wants to think about it.

Has it ever happened before?

By the way, newspaper reporters are free to borrow these questions.

New Albany considering development between downtown, riverfront, by Brooke McAfee (Tom May Overkill)

NEW ALBANY — An amphitheater is just one possibility that could occupy a city-owned parcel downtown that New Albany officials are eyeing for development.

At Tuesday's Redevelopment Commission meeting redevelopment Director Josh Staten proposed a $25,000 contract with Axis Architecture & Interiors to look into the feasibility of creating a project on the property spanning State and Bank streets near the riverfront.

Many options for the property are on the table.

"The goal is to figure out the best land use for this public space," Mayor Jeff Gahan said. "There’s all kind of possibilities for what we could do to get downtown connected with the riverfront."

After discussion, the commissioners tabled the matter for the next meeting with the plans of broadening the scope of the conceptual study. An outdoor amphitheater was among the proposed options, but the city wants to make sure other concepts are explored ...