Scraping rock bottom: Jeff Gahan brings his cult of personality to Kroger shopping carts. But who paid for these political ads?

No way.

It couldn't be.

In other words, Mayor Gahan encourages you to shop at just one supermarket chain to the exclusion of others -- unless the city is paying for his re-election ad placements at Wally World, too.

What't next, Big Lots?

Maybe the ads are free, intended as barter for the perfectly functional fire station the city demolished (at a loss) to facilitate Kroger's enlargement?

Moreover, weren't we discussing this barely two days ago?

Yes, we were.

ON THE AVENUES: Take this cult of personality and shove it (2017 remix).

Manifestations of activity on the part of government also are promoted as inseparable from the leader’s benevolence, and while the leader may have utilized resources theoretically shared equally by his or her subjects, the results must always be portrayed as stemming from the wisdom of the leader.

The leader’s pre-eminence is reinforced by the constant repetition of mass marketing, including the leader’s name and image as attached to almost anything lacking the good sense to move out of the way.

Never mind. I fixed it.

Thanks to A. for the tip.

Let's go Krogering?: Does CM Blair's fixation with a boarded-up Hardee's have to do with gas pumps and corporate welfare?

On Friday, I emitted a rant.

Council meeting recap 1: State's a trashy chain-ridden asphalt nightmare, and this sole derelict Hardee's must go!

There was this interesting comment ...

Did we overhear Kroger managers talking about the company's plans to move the Kroger gas station to the Hardee's site?

If so, shouldn't Kroger pay for the demolition and site remediation?

Even though the city sold a relatively new fire station for much less than the replacement cost to allow Kroger to expand?

This morning over coffee, it was time for some research, prompted by this timely report from another helpful friend who agreed to hit the Internet for me. Let's have a look at the properties involved ...

The Hardees lot is a separate parcel cut from the large State Street Plaza lot. Both are owned by "New Albany Plaza LLC" using Kevin Schreiber as their listed agent. Kevin Schreiber is part of "The Shopping Center Group" - see: http://theshoppingcentergroup.com/people/kevin-schreiber/

Kroger is now listed as the owner of the former fire house lot using their holding company used for retail land purchases:

"Kroger Limited Partnership 1, through its General Partner KRGP, Inc., doing business as Kroger."

The Principal Officers are as follows:

President/COO: David B. Dillon of 1050 East Rookwood Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45208

Sr. Vice President/Secretary: Paul W. Heldman of 1135 Edwards Road, Cincinnati, OH 45208

Vice President/Treasurer: Scott M. Henderson of 10548 Secretariat Drive, Union, KY 41091.

And a bit more:

The existing Kroger store lot is currently owned by an entity named "B B W T, Inc." - I can't find out any information about that group, and I don't know what the initials represent.

Interestingly, supposedly the Penn Station (former 1st National bank building) comes down, and the Long John Silvers/A & W combo becomes part of the Kroger footprint to the west. When the project was announced, the plans were shown to the front line people, who talked about it for a few days. Now, if you ask any of them about it, all they'll say is that it's in the hands of the higher ups.

Here's a late update from yet another friend:

The Kroger on State Street owns the building that now holds Long John Silver and A & W. The owner of that franchise is looking to build where the Hardees buildig is now. He tried to get it in the contract for Kroger to remove that building and build a new one, but did not. However, the first stage of the Kroger expansion is to tear down the Long John Silver building in order to expand the gas station. Hope this helps.

Thanks to the three of you. Bankers seldom bother containing their enthusiasm for down-low deals of this nature, so it makes me wonder: Just how many deals are going to be cut for Kroger?

As an aside:

Almost from the moment the Kroger store opened on Grant Line Road, just across University Woods Drive from my pizzeria and public house business, the rumors began: Eventually, Kroger would buy Elliott Phillips's parking area (bounded by University Woods and Plaza Drive) and build a gas station there.

It never happened, but the rumors have not ceased.

Phillips no longer owns the property in question. It was purchased a couple years ago by ... the Blairs, from whom NABC leases parking spaces.

A memo to Kroger: No, $11.49 is NOT under $10.00.

I hope the city's math was better when we discounted the firehouse.

Cappuccino yaps at NSP's heels as fire house breathes its last.

I haven't the time to research the specifics, but in my recollection, the firehouse on Green Valley Road dates to around 1990. If memory serves, the design was applauded at the time for being more than just gray socialist utilitarian, but somewhat nicely executed, as reflective of New Albany's architectural heritage -- assuming that the word "heritage" in this context refers to buildings still standing, as opposed to those (Post Office, Court House) torn down to enable asphalt parking lots.

Twenty-three years later, this fire house building is fully expendable and will be demolished so that a non-local corporation can further its profitable aims, but what the hell; there was never any real chance that we might build a new firehouse on Daisy Lane AND turn the old one into a local-only indie green grocer, because THAT would not be in keeping with the garish, chain-choked Wesley Commons a block away, which should induce an unshakable urge to vomit upon sight of the Starbucks and Bob Evans signage.

Those with anything approximating principles hurl, the oblivious sheep keep grazing, and someone is having an orgasm over at One Southern Indiana HQ ... and it's probably Kerry Stemler.

Oh yes, and diligent redevelopment rep Dan Coffey wanna aw-dit ... not of the Bicentennial Commission, because the political protection racket now embraces Bob Caesar, but of the NSP project, and that's all well and good; maybe something will turn up about the 108K solution. Let's aw-dit everyone, except the one's under Cappuccino's friendly umbrella. When Cee-Saw's bill comes due, it's going to be a funny day, indeed.

Commission approves firehouse deal; Coffey calls for audit of NSP project, by Daniel Suddeath (N and T)

... Though the money Kroger will pay to purchase the Green Valley Road station won’t cover a new fire house, an appraiser said Tuesday during the meeting that the actual fire building is pretty much worthless to Kroger.

He said the property was appraised at $350,000, but that the station would likely have to be razed to make way for the expansion.