We know the city wants Rolling Hills turned into affordable housing, because it keeps trying over and over. But whenever it chooses a partner to help develop the 19-acre parcel south of downtown, the relationship ends in recrimination.
Once, the city thought it would find happiness with Larry and Denise Hester. But after building a few houses at Rolling Hills, the Hesters' nonprofit defaulted on an $860,000 loan.
Although the Hesters failed, it doesn't stop them from sniping at City Council whenever Rolling Hills is on the agenda. The Hesters were there Monday when the city decided to spend another $355,000 for planning at Rolling Hills. That will replace money that another potential partner, St.-Louis-based McCormack Barron Salazar, couldn't come up with as it had agreed.
The Hesters said the money should be spent elsewhere, but their recommendations went unheeded. It's no wonder, given the painful history.
McCormack Barron Salazar, which had lots of experience building affordable housing around the country, once seemed like an exciting new partner. The relationship is still there, but it's shaky, especially since the company couldn't follow through on the first step -- raising a relatively modest amount of planning money, a task admittedly made harder by the economic downturn.
In addition to a total of $745,000 for planning, the city will wind up spending about $5.5 million to buy back homes at Rolling Hills in order to hold the title free and clear.
All we can say is the new plan had better be a good one.
In another development, Eastway Village, the city seems to have done a credible job of building affordable housing without a partner. In fact, some proceeds from those sales are being funneled back into Rolling Hills. We hope that someday, money from sales at Rolling Hills could be spent on other housing needs in the city. But that's just a daydream.
It could easily be added to a stack of dreams that haven't worked out at Rolling Hills.
