JJ obtained through a public records request the lease for the Madison campus of Jackson State University and all associated correspondence. JSU and Dick Ambrosino, the CEO of Parkway Development, signed the leases on January 28, 2013. The site is located within the Parkway East public improvement district. Some highlights of the lease:
1. JSU rented 8,600 square feet.
2. JSU agreed to a ten-year leases that expires on February 1, 2023.
3. JSU must give 120 days notice if it intends to renew the lease for five years.
4. JSU will pay the following amounts for each year:
Year 1: $141,090
Year 2: $144,050
Year 3: $146,200
Year 4: $148,350
Year 5: $150,386
Year 6: $152,908
Year 7: $155,155
Year 8: $157,466
Year 9: $159,874
Year 10: $162,282
5. The Jackson State University Development Foundation guaranteed the lease. If JSU terminates the lease, the foundation will pay the amounts owed for the remainder of the term. Several board members told this correspondent they were not aware of the foundation's co-signing of the lease.
What is interesting is the emails make clear JSU and Parkway Development began serious discussions of creating a new campus in October of 2012. JSU sent a proposal to Parkway Development on October 5, 2012. The emails state on December 10, 2012 there was a target date of January 25, 2013 to execute the lease. Interesting because the Mayor of Madison said she was not told about the new campus by Dr. Myers until they met a few days before that date. In other words, JSU and Parkway East worked out the details of the leases for four months while Dr. Myers didn't notify the Mayor until the last minute. Parkway is a private business although its clients, the Parkway PIDs, are public entities. Parkway doesn't have a duty to notify the city of anything unless required by law. However, JSU probably kept the deal secret so as to minimize opposition from Tulane and Madison.
Local politics. I do love it so.
See p. 31
26 comments:
Queen Mary got her panties in a wad over this smart move by Jackson State, so she didn't show up, and, for the first time in her 32 years in office, didn't appear in a publicity photo! Apparently no alderman was willing to appear, so as to appease the Queen.
Neither did Karl Banks, John Bell, or Gerald Steen. Its not even in Lott's district if I'm not mistaken.
Get into detox and off the psilocybin Dees. She just waltzed to re-election.
Probably because no one wants that crappy school in town. As a Madison resident I will vote against every elected official who supported it.
They will need to add to the student handbook that MPD is not JPD...
Comments with the word "jackfrika" or "Jackafrika" will not be approved. Want to say it, go to the CL website and comment away to your heart's content.
It's shameful that the mayor didn't show up at the JSU-Madison campus opening. Just think of all the revenue the students are going to bring to local businesses when before or after classes they decide to eat or shop in Madison. Some of these students may even decide to purchase homes in Madison after graduating JSU-Madison. Never know, perhaps JSU-Madison will grow enough to purchase land and build an on-campus football stadium right in Madison!
Dees; What has this got to do with 'panties in a wad'? Obviously you have no problem with a public entity sneaking into town at midnight with the sole purpose being to deceive.
As the mayor pointed out multiple times, she and the community worked hard and in good faith to locate Tulane here and redundancy in education isn't the hallmark of business location in a community. It's also a violation of BHE guidelines. To my knowledge, although Hawkins has pointed that out time and again, it's not been addressed.
Don't try to paint Madison or our elected officials as the bad neighbor in this scenario when the bad neighbor is obviously JSU. The President of JSU knew she was a scoundrel when she took this scoundrel's path.
I do, however, doubt that Madison Central will turn their fine football field facilities over to JSU without a fight.
Comments with the word "jackfrika" or "Jackafrika" will not be approved.
Are those the only two embargoed words or is there a secret list of words that will no longer be allowed?
These buildings are not in the Parkway East PID, Parkway East starts right past the buildings going north. These buildings belong to the South PID, which was initially Ambrosino & Sethi were the landowners.
what are "BHE guidelines"?
Who said anything about turning over their fine football field facilities over to JSU? There was never any mention of taking over Madison Central football fields. Geesh!
The hilarity started when the mayor started crowing about Madison becoming a "college town" when they made the Tulane announcement. That's like calling Grenada a college town because Ole Miss has a few classes there. You can't even get a serious degree from that Tulane branch. Too many people in Madison believe the whole fairy tale. Its a nice place, but Oxford England it is not.
Maybe a dumb question and definitely a moot point, but:
WTF is everyone thinking here? Why would JSU want Madison, and why would Madison want JSU? JSU is a black college (what, like 98% black) in a urban (frankly ghetto) setting. Madison is, well, Madison. Lily white, snooty, etc.
I don't get it. I don't see how this helps JSU, and it definitely does not help Madison. This is just goofy, beginning to end.
I believe jsu has to get their minority (e.g. white) enrollment numbers up to latch into the ayers money. this may be the way.
what's the big deal about JSU being in the mighty, wonderful Madison the City? I know at least 7 people (gasp, all lily white) getting advanced degrees from JSU. They are all pretty happy with the new campus. I think you are going to see a few more Master graduates showing up around Jackson after this move.
What over terms are now unacceptable on Jackson Jambalaya?
I think it's great. If I have time after lunch at Burger King next week ill drive through and see if they will throw a degree in my window while its still down...
BHE=Board of Higher Education. Or it could be IHL = Institutions of Higher Learning. At any rate, whichever is the proper admin body, their terms were violated, as the Mayor pointed out numerous times. I believe the regulations call for a full and open, public vetting of any application to put one college in the venue of another in this state. That ought to even apply to J-State who can always throw the term 'racist' up on the wall and see if it sticks.
On a related note, Jackson State has struggled really hard to avoid 'regular white' enrollment ever since the Ayers settlement was signed and stamped. They've gone after 'other than black' enrollees from many countries in order to comply but have been ramarkably unsuccessful in that devious effort. Now, perhaps, these many decades later, they'll get down to compliance and put some 'actual white Americans' in some of their programs. One day they may even (GASP) have a white president!
I know several people who got a degree at JSU (although they put tape over it) simply because it was either free or near-free.
Yes, the nearby Burger King and AT&T stores will prosper.
That answer U questshun 1:47? JState cheated, with the assistance of the people who make (and waive) the rules. To challenge JState = racism... automatically. Weak spines run skeered of that word.
Where was Bennie? The venue is only five miles from where he totes a union organizing sign. Supreme irony.
oh golly gosh darn Mr. Kingfish! you must publish your book of "no -no " words so we can all be on the same page and all sound just alike and hum sweet "lets all just get along " tunes while we plink away!!! ok, how about this, the city that Edwin Taliaferro and his merry band of sunday school teachers govern with kind and loving hands?
@ May 31, 2:10PM and anyone else still baffled by JSU's Madison Campus: It amazes me how many close-minded people like you still exist. Most African-American residents of Madison live outside the city limits (as my family has for over a century). We were here first - and still thriving - before the gated communities, before Wal-Mart, and, yes, even before Mayor Mary (which is debatable because that woman may be a vampire). Also, towns like Flora and Canton have many African-American residents who often work, shop, and are educated outside of their communities. Regardless, JSU's mission is to reach out to all people, regardless of race, who wish to pursue advanced degrees or their first degree. I am not a JSU graduate, but I support the school in its mission. And I certainly support any in-state institutions growth over an out-of-state competitor. You should too. Would you raise the same fuss if it were MSU, Ole Miss, or Southern? I doubt it, and there is something intrinsically wrong with that. I'm sure you can figure out what IT is. Be blessed.
walk the stage, I believe that the ihl comes into play when State supported schools are trying to infringe or duplicate on other state supported schools subjects or areas. Tulane is private and therefore no violations. Whoever puts tape over their degrees because they came from JSU shouldn't have gone to begin with. I have a sister in law(white) who got her advance degree from JSU and paid the full tuition, so to insinuate that they get because it is free or near-free is wrong. As with any school I am sure some students(deserving) get scholarships. I guess someday Ole Miss might have a black president. Don't know what that has to do with a Madison Campus. Mary can do what she wants, however, would be curious to know if Ole Miss put a campus whether she would be there. Also the percentage of White students is closer to 15 per cent not 2.
@June 3, 9:58AM - May 31, 2:10PM here. Madison County and the City of Madison differ significantly, I think we agree on that point. Where we differ is JSU's "mission" with respect to "all people." I actually checked JSU's site to see if it discloses the racial breakdown if its student body. I didn't see it, but would be curious to know it. I would be surprised if it is less than 95% black. So it seems to be falling somewhat short of its mission, and is very much less racially diverse than Ole Miss, MSU, or USM.
That said, I think it's frankly silly for Tulane to have a campus in Madison, as it would be for UM, MSU or USM. But JSU is even more silly, not only for the "controversial" race issue, but because its main campus is, what, 15-20 miles down the road? What's the point? Maybe Millsaps will setup a satellite campus in Brandon. Belhaven can start one in, say, Byram.
MC has a site in Flowood.
@June 3 at 6:07 PM-- Duh! JSU is trying to recruit a diverse body. It cannot force white students to attend. Thus, it is doing things to make itself more appealing to those potential students. Who knows if it will work, but it doesn't hurt to try.
Post a Comment