Rock Hill, Novus, Eminent Domain
Folks in Rock Hill, MO have been under the thumb of oppressive development for the last several years. A developer named Jonathan Browne, owner of a firm called Novus Development, decided he wanted to build a strip mall. In what has become the trendy approach to suburban "revitalization", he demanded taxpayer funding to cover his costs (and his mistakes!). He insisted on eminent domain to acquire property on the cheap. He bullied the very amateur mayor and board of aldermen into running over their very own citizenry in the hopes of increasing the city's tax base.
The result: a stable neighborhood has been bulldozed. An empty, ugly brick monstrosity sits on a corner where before was grass, sidewalks, and kids playing in the yards. Rock Hill is flat out broke, unable to even fix holes in the roads or pay their firefighters pension. And Jon Browne drives around in a shiny BMW and goes home at night to a million dollar condo in Clayton.
Anyone still think eminent domain is a necessary tool for economic revival?
D.R.
Submitted by
Dana from Mamalogues
at 10/16/2007 9:20:50 PM- I used to live in the very Sunset Hills neighborhood (Sunset Manor) that this douchebag of a development company ransacked and left for dead. The area was crime-ridden then; it's awful now with all the abandoned homes. Novus forced the town's hand knowing that if it killed the area then it could proceed. (With what Novus was offering, there was no way homeowners could relocate locally within the area. For my neighbor, an elderly widow who lived in Sunset Manor all her married life, it was unacceptable.)
Eminent domain is useful when you've got a crackhouse next door which is endangering your area and destroying your property value. To employ it solely as a land-grab tactic for greedy developers with a seeming inability to bring their projects to fruition - fruition meaning economically viable and area-sustaining establishments which contribute richly to an area's tax base - is shameful and a blatant misuse. Novus' Browne realized the flaws in his project too late and his actions to assist Manor residents and ultimately save the project may be in vain.
(BTW - I'm not against community improvement - I'm against poor planning and a promise of progress with no measurable results.)
Submitted by
Kevin
at 10/17/2007 7:37:47 AM- I had a friend who lived on Monica in Sunset Hills during all that. What a mess! At least he didn't buy another house before he got paid for the old one.
Submitted by
Rob
at 10/18/2007 8:35:39 AM- Jonathan Browne is the most arrogant, selfish, and self-centered individual I have ever encountered. He refused to negotiate for a fair and reasonable price for my 103-year old Victorian home in Rock Hill, and instead took it from us using eminent domain. Then, when we attempted to remove some of the historic items from the home before its demolition, he sued us for a half-million dollars in punitive damages!
The guy is a jerk. Rock Hill made a good choice when they booted Novus out of the second phase of the development. Unfortunately, they may never recover from the poor choice they made when they first invited him in.
Submitted by
Mark K
at 10/19/2007 12:39:48 PM- I was one of the homeowners who got screwed over by Novus in Rock Hill. He made lowball offers to people who didn't know any better and got em to sign contracts without getting their houses appraised. Then he told the rest of us he'd take our houses by eminent domain. I couldn't afford a lawyer. The retired couple across the street couldn't afford a lawyer. Neither could the widow around the corner, who died 6 months after moving away. She used to walk around the neighborhood every day, then after Novus started hammering on her she just shut herself in.
God will judge the righteous and the unrighteous. Mr Browne better enjoy his treasure while he's on this earth...
Submitted by
margaritaville
at 10/20/2007 8:40:21 AM- Jonathan Browne, WTF! I thought Novus went out of business. Everyone in Sunset Hills was lining up to sue them. Rock Hill must have had its collective head in a frickin' dark place when they let Novus come in the door!
Submitted by
Tim
at 10/20/2007 12:45:38 PM- There are at least two large lawsuits that I know of working their way through the system.
Submitted by
Rock Hill mama
at 10/20/2007 11:30:21 PM- I don't know about god and judgement but I do know that the world I have to raise my children in and watch my grandparents grow old in is one of selfishness and greed! I am a taxpaying, home owning citizen of Rock Hill and I am so dissapointed in my City for making this deal with Novus. I now live 2 blocks from the "Market at McKnight" however, a few years ago I lived in a house that was on thier list. The offer made was rediculous, they call it "fair market value" but really it is about 1/3 to 1/2 less than what one could get for the property. My taxes increased by 15% and I have yet to see one of those flashing yellow lights warning idiot drivers that there is a school one block from the development.
I know that Rock Hill was almost bankrupt if not very close to it so I am sure thier motivation was this. Yet I cannot agree with E.D.
I can't say I will never shop at the new market strictly because it is convenient but I will try my hardest to not contribute to their success!
Submitted by
Philibuster
at 10/29/2007 5:10:29 PMCorporate slogan at Novus:
"Mi Casa et su Casa"
Best thing about trial lawyers and developers? They'll share a bunk for eternity!!!
Submitted by
Philibuster
at 10/29/2007 6:24:25 PM- Sorry, that Novus slogan should be:
"Su Casa et mi Casa"!
Submitted by
Fran
at 11/6/2007 8:04:55 AM- Hey, SteinMart is open! Big discounts on cheap clothes. The Rock Hill mayor says she's already shopped their three times! Can't wait to see what she wears to the next Board meeting.
On a serious note, it now appears the controversial fountain will be built in the bathroom of Starbucks.
Submitted by
Amy
at 11/8/2007 1:58:32 PM- Jonathan Browne, Novus, Rock Hill, Market at McKnight, Hitler, Stalin, Dachau, Michael Devlin, Ted Bundy.
There. Now I shall go wash my mouth out with soap.
Submitted by
Rob
at 11/9/2007 4:26:41 PM- Eminent domain, Jon Browne style, can soon be a thing of the past. Go to MO-CPR.org to learn more and see how you can help.
Submitted by
Pete Sebelski
at 11/13/2007 10:49:05 AM- I worked for Novus until I couldn't take it any more. That company has only one mission statement: make Jon Browne rich. I am sad to say that I participated in a lot of the crap that went down in Rock Hill. It is unbelievable what the industry can get away with when it comes to building these projects. There has been plenty of press on this, but I can assure you it barely scratches the surface.
Submitted by
SunsetSurvivor
at 11/27/2007 10:46:56 AM- Novus' new row of empty buildings along Manchester is really cool! They have glass windows on both the north and south sides, so you can see right in to all the empty unleased space.
At least there's plenty of parking for Clarkson Eyecare and Steinmart. Maybe Novus can lease some blacktop to Hacienda for Cinco de Mayo!!!
Submitted by
Tinytina
at 11/29/2007 8:11:24 PM- Hey Pete,
Please call Gerry Carmody at(314) 854-8622. He would love to talk to you about your former job and former boss.
Submitted by
ben
at 11/30/2007 9:42:23 PM- [ admin note: 11-30-07 ] the StlBloggers Admin pool received an email today claiming that the author of the comment above authored by 'Pete Sebeleski' was not, in fact, authored by the Pete Sebeleski referred to in the context of this conversation and that the content of the comment is not accurate.
Submitted by
sid
at 12/5/2007 11:57:50 AM- [ admin note: 11-30-07 ] the StlBloggers Admin pool received an email today substantiating that Peter Sebelsky has indeed been employed by Novus and was involved in the Target at McKnight development in Rock Hill.
Submitted by
i like cake
at 12/7/2007 6:25:53 PM- Novus was formally removed as the Market at McKnight developer this week.
Halleluiah! What a great Christmas gift for all the property owners who can now look forward to fair buyout offers from a developer with integrity.
May Novus rest in peace. May Jon Browne be consumed with what he has wrought. And may eminent domain go the way of the Edsel,
D.R.
Submitted by
Amy
at 12/11/2007 10:10:58 PM'Gimme soma that love, uhuh!
Rock Hill got it goin' on, baby!
Light the night with the fight for what's right!
Yeah!!!
Submitted by
Francine
at 12/19/2007 10:43:34 AM- Message to Jonathan Browne (Novus):
Gotta get 'er done, Jon. No excuses accepted.
P.S. Don't ever try to take my house again.
Submitted by
Ron Calzone
at 1/5/2008 7:05:43 AM- Folks, your outrage is understandable. We win a few of these battles, but only at great cost and then the problem pops up again, later.
If we are going to stop the injustice, we HAVE to amend the constitution!
Help us do that - go to www.mo-cpr.org today. Donate! Volunteer!
Ron Calzone, Chairman
Missouri Citizens for Property Rights
Submitted by
Fernando Vini des Nocho
at 1/22/2008 2:26:08 PM- The mayor of Rock Hill is kind of like a dumbed down version of Edith in "All in the Family." Ever since she married Peter Sebelsky, the city hall seems to be just her playground of malapropisms. Fox 2 shows up whenever there's a slow news day, so the city is able to maintain its image of buffoonery and continue drawing in all the best developers. Oh BTW, there will be 31 flavors frozen cow's milk in the otherwise empty "Milked 'em at McKnight" by summer.
Party on.
Submitted by
Sunset Manor Ex
at 2/12/2008 8:18:03 AM- Lost my house, my marriage, my sanity because of Novus and Jonathan Browne.
Hope he does better in his next development. He should just offer lethal injection to his victims. It's faster and less painful.
Sue
Submitted by
Turncoat
at 2/25/2008 5:17:17 PM- Hey, what do Warson Woods and Rock Hill have in common?
They both have empty strip malls along Manchester!
So glad we let the government take away people's houses to build these ugly mausoleums.
Submitted by
i like cake
at 3/4/2008 11:20:10 AM- I think the reason M@McK stays mostly vacant is that no retailer wants to buy space with windows front and back. It kind of makes locating the restroom and storage space a little tricky!
I also had one person tell me that trying to work with whoever is selling the space is next to impossible.
Maybe they want to leave it empty?
Submitted by
D.R.
at 3/18/2008 4:16:46 PM- "Milked 'em at McKnight"?
I love it!!!
Novus used to have this fat little guy named Allan Steele who would show up at city meetings and make wild (false) claims about who was going to be renting space and when the project would open. Funny, he's not listed as a Novus employee anymore.
Guess they lost enought $ on M at M that Jon Browne's "trimming the fat"!
D.R.
Submitted by
Cinco de Mayo
at 5/5/2008 11:25:39 AM- On a beautiful weekend day when I couldn't find a parking space in Brentwood Promenade or Brentwood Square, I was amazed that the entire lot at Market at McKnight was empty! Now, maybe people are walking there--it is, after all, a "lifestyle center." But somehow I don't think so.
How many millions is this costing the school district and the city of Rock Hill?
Submitted by
D.R.
at 5/6/2008 1:17:05 PM- Well, the market's down, which means fewer stores are in an expansion mode. In fact, the anchor store for Market at McKnight (Steinmart) is in real trouble. Their sales nationally are down A LOT over the past 18 months.
However, it is a good market for home buyers, which is why Novus' Jon Browne happily ponied up 1.1 million to move to Clayton.
Course, some have said he lived in Webster before because that's where his business is, and he lives in Clayton now 'cause that's where his lawyers are. Happy litigating, Jon!
Submitted by
sunsetsurvivor
at 5/19/2008 5:51:34 AM- Bandana's has patio seating in their new Market at McKnight location. It is sure to be desirable, what with its location less than 100 feet from a busy intersection and its immediate juxtaposition to a large pile of fill-dirt!
Whatever happened to the fountain Browne has on all his "mock-ups" of the site?
Submitted by
Mud Pies
at 5/27/2008 11:36:55 AM- What's really funny is the big pile of dirt right outside the Baskin-Robbins. Highly conducive to fine dining!
Submitted by
Flambe
at 6/24/2008 7:30:40 AM- Jon Browne goes after ladies with lung cancer and elderly widows. He should be rolled in the mud and shipped to guam!!! He totally screwed Sunset Hills.
Submitted by
Show Me the Money
at 7/9/2008 12:55:59 PM- Assessment vs. Appraisal
In reference to an article in the Webster Groves-Kirkwood Times: Rock Hill Alderman OK Plan for Retail Center New Target Store. City Administrator, George Liyeos, stated that prices offered by Novus Companies, the previous developer were based on 2003 appraisals, plus $40,000, is an incorrect statement. Novus nor the city of Rock Hill never had appraisals performed on any of the properties in the buy-out area. In addition, I'm not sure if Geroge has any education that qualifies him for his position as City Administrator. One would know that there is a difference between assessment and appraisal. If Geroge owns a home he would know the City is using assessments from 2007. A appraisal is a far cry from an assessment. Get real and do the due diligence that the Mayor, Julie Morgan speaks of. Rock Hill and the new developer, Hutkin Properties, are NOT offering FAIR market valve and their offers do not include moving expenses. I wonder how the Mayor sleeps at night, knowing what she has done to the residents in her community. She will not get my vote, when her term expires! Remember the saying; what goes around comes around!
Submitted by
Tammy
at 7/31/2008 11:24:37 AM- The fact is that whatever kind of face they want to put on it, the City of Rock Hill has zero interest in the well-being of the residents. The Aldermen and City Administrator want the homes knocked down and another mall built. It is their ONLY priority.
The homeowners will be screwed over.
Alderwoman Sherri McCann made a statement at one point that Rock Hill's equirements for Novus' buyout was "unprecedented" in its protection of the homeowners. But not a single one of them came out with a good deal, and most were bitter about the way they were forced out.
It's true that assessments are far different than appraisals. It's also true that an appraiser can be bought and paid for by the developer, and will come in with a value many tens of thousands below reality.
Submitted by
rubbernecker
at 8/5/2008 3:01:50 PM- John Brown goes to my church. He creeps me out.
His wife's nice though.
Submitted by
sunsetsurvivor
at 8/19/2008 12:54:41 PM- Anyone know what's happening with the lawsuits filed by the Sunset Manor victims?
Submitted by
Show Me the Money
at 8/28/2008 10:26:38 AM- The city of Sunset Hills, MO was granted sovereign immunity. The residents ended up with what they started with. Some of the residents that had contracts, thought that the redevelopment was concrete with Novus. The residents went on to purchase other real estate, and got socked with two mortgages. If these eminent domain ammendments that were suppossed to be on the November ballot for the citizens to vote for, does not make the ballot, citizens everywhere will be subjected to the hands of your city muncipilities, who do not care about their residents, all they see is tax revenue for the city. Those cities that get greedy, will lose!
Submitted by
sunsetsurvivor
at 8/28/2008 12:14:12 PM- That lawsuit also listed Novus as a defendant. Is it still active, or did they settle?
This is the same dude who did in Sunset Hills.