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Dear Editor:
Carmel progressive utopians’ latest public offense erupted last month.
The puppet-government Carmel Redevelopment Commission (CRC) blight fighters announced efforts to buy two parcels of land for a new Great American Songbook Museum across the street from the great mausoleum of music, the Palladium.
The mayor was quoted saying one parcel could go for $4.8 million but he had no price on the second parcel, now occupied by a beauty salon. Odd that a beauty salon would be classified as blight.
Odder still is the Songbook Museum idea itself.
The Songbook Foundation accepted a $30 million gift, the Asherwood Estate, in 2018 from the previous owners. They tried unsuccessfully to sell it for $25 million in 2014 and to donate it in 2018 to the Indiana University Foundation at a $50 million valuation.
Surely the CRC could find room on the 107-acre estate for a museum housing Tin Pan Alley memorabilia.
Not possible, apparently.
The city also told the State of Indiana Department of Local Government Finance that it owns $197.5 million in land, some of which would appear suitable for a museum.
Not possible, apparently.
But, when you have a $15 million slush fund to buy land – as the CRC has – thanks to city council generosity, who cares?
The final chapter in the continuing saga plays out at the Hamilton County Courthouse.
As of the first of the year, county records show the Songbook Foundation still owned the property and was taxed at a total of just under $300 in 2021.
Now, however, the estate owner is Asherwood Carmel LLC, a shell corporation of the Old Town Design Group. Unknown is the amount the LLC paid the CRC (which apparently owns the Songbook lock stock and lyrics).
And the beat goes on.
Bill Shaffer
Carmel
Bill, you can’t question Henry Mestetsky. He’s played a lot more SimCity than you.