GREEN MOUSE SAYS: Why is the New Albany Housing Authority buying commercial property at the dumping grounds downtown on State Street?

Situated between 150 parking spaces for a ballfield complex used only in warm weather (outlined in yellow) and State Street, which connects the downtown business district and the chain-filled mini-exurb by the interstate, are commercial properties that include a new Family Dollar (north), an older metal building once housing a beer wholesaler and later a fireworks peddler (south), as well as what used to be Lang Auto, inhabited for some years now by Denny Andres (Double A Properties, outlined in red).

To put it gently, Andres' stewardship of the property has been, well, widely questioned.

For several months it has been rumored that after countless years of talking a big game and doing nothing, City Hall would be purchasing Andres' properties. No mention was made of brown field remediation costs, but first things first. The Green Mouse glanced at the Elevate site a few weeks ago, and saw no changes. However, now there's an alteration, and it's a strange one.

We speak here of the wedge outlined in blue.

Andres' other Elevate listings show his Floyds Knobs home address, but this one doesn't.

300 Erni Avenue should be a familiar address to regular readers.

That's right: It's the New Albany Housing Authority, and a "Power to Grab Today" scratch sheet presumably lying atop Gauleiter Duggins' desk next to the moldering Arby's wrappers.

The Green Mouse can find no evidence indicating that Andres has donated to Gahan4Life for the privilege of playing, but maybe the bunker drain trust is taking no chances and hiring him to work at NAHA, as they did councilman Matt Nash.

Meanwhile, the two former Lang Auto properties are still shown as being owned by Andres.

It seems Andres already has a fall-back strategy at the former radiator shop on Vincennes. It's in his son's name, which may or may not be important.

There's an over-arching question of the sort newspaper reporters might ask during those rare idle moments between penning columns urging religious zealotry. In caps, so perhaps Chris Morris sees it:

WHY HAS NAHA EMBARKED ON A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY-BUYING SPREE?

GREEN MOUSE SAYS: Bet you didn't know NAHA owns these properties on two corners of Main and Vincennes. Why? 

Just have one question: How is Bill Allen's building on Main Street any different?

This will require an extended excerpt, but am I awake or asleep? If the city proposes to institute enforcement against the perennially uncooperative and rambunctious Mr. Andres, may we expect slumlords to be on the run soon?

Is enforcement even permitted here?

New Albany demands Andres vacate property; City alleges business in violation of court order, zoning restrictions, by Daniel Suddeath

NEW ALBANY — The city of New Albany filed a show cause motion Wednesday accusing D Andres Enterprises of violating a court agreement to remove machinery, trucks and materials from property adjacent to the John-Kenyon Eye Institute along State Street by Jan. 31.

Company owner Dennis Andres neglected to obey a court order agreed to in November that stipulated D Andres Enterprises had to purge its equipment from the property, dispose of hazardous materials properly and follow zoning restrictions to use the area for his business, which includes dump truck and heavy machinery services.

The area in question is between the John-Kenyon Eye Institute’s property at 519 State St. and the D Andres Enterprises lot at 615 State St. There have been legal actions taken by the city against Andres stemming from the issue since 2009, as John-Kenyon Eye Institute CEO Paul Klingensmith said the adjoining property has become an “eyesore” to the neighborhood.

Perhaps oblivious to the way things tend to work in DNA's Come Down City, Klingensmith then drew himself up and spoke crazy words of revolution and upheaval, at least by New Albany's classically slovenly standards, which you can bet won't be referenced in Bob Caesar's Bicentennial coffee table book about the finest in bearded white folks and their bread.

“We want to be good neighbors, we don’t want anybody to lose their business or lose their ability to do business especially in this economy,” he said. “We just want people to clean up their act so that their property looks better, so the area looks better, so the neighborhood looks better.”

Clean up their act? Is this guy from a foreign country -- or perhaps Switzerland? Does he think he's Martin Luther, nailing theses/feces on the political disestablishment's door?

But it gets even better. Listen as the city attorney actually ... wait for it ... concurs!

But according to Klingensmith, Andres has claimed he was “grandfathered-in” to possession of the property adjacent to his 615 State St. business, but City Attorney Stan Robison doesn’t agree.

“He doesn’t own that property, he shouldn’t use it, he can’t use it, so we’re going to make it stop,” Robison said.

He described the lot in question as “pretty much a mess” and added he doesn’t fault neighboring property owners for being upset about the situation.

Hats off to Stan. While you really have to wonder whose dog Andres shot, by all means, let's rally in favor of this bizarre, against-all-tradition new precedent ... assuming, of course, that it isn't to be merely a one-miscreant deal.