GameOn 365 Postponed Again. Or, Drag It Out Until Nobody Remembers

Each time The Paul and his Stepford Board postpone voting on the GameOn 365 proposal, ABG staffers wonder two things. First, could The Paul and the Stepfords have heard the public outcry against this project and grown a conscience, trying to do the right thing? We quickly snap out of it and realize unequivocally, no! Second, what other perks have they thrown into the deal to sweeten the already cavity-producing sweetheart deal? ABG is pretty sure The Paul will say these changes were not deal breakers and only minor points; but still, the Town attorney felt obliged to convey these to GameOn 365 before moving forward with officially anointing the done-deal deal.

Many have said the issue is less about whether a bubble is appropriate at this residentially zoned seven acres, but rather the Town’s unrelenting push since 2005 to have this company get this deal at this location, even before the Town assumed ownership of the foreclosed property! The Paul had NYS Assemblyman Tom “Proclamation” Abinanti sponsor an amendment to the Finneran Law allowing the last vestiges of protection for the Unincorporated Town residents to finally removed, allowing The Paul bubble carte blanche.

Soon to open in Ardsley, House of Sports’ supporters claim the Town has provided numerous financial and operational advantages to GameOn 365 and have totally ignored working with House of Sports in any capacity. While ABG agrees with many of the assertions made, it’s a fact that the House of Sports is located in a commercial area in the Village of Ardsley, and the Town would have little interaction with them. However, the business of doing business for House of Sports will be costing them more than GameOn 365 because of the assorted concessions, reduced taxes and reduced rent GameOn 365 will be paying for the next 15 years. After the initial five years, rental increases are frozen to 1% per year. Since The Paul typically favors double-digit tax increases, this alone should be reviewed and changed before implementation!

Another bone of contention is that GameOn 365 gets to withdraw from this contract at any point the “deal” becomes undesirable to them, with reimbursement of any funds spent. The soil contamination cleanup on the property will ultimately be paid for by the Unincorporated Areas of the Town, not the Villages. Attorney Tim Lewis, the new Greenburgh Environmental Cleanup Czar says it will only cost about $100k to do the remediation. Are we paying Mr. Lewis enough for all his knowledge regarding environmental cleanup costs, hazardous materials and real estate prices? Shouldn’t we hire a remediation specialist instead of relying on the opinion of an unqualified sycophant?

Additionally, if The Paul and his previous Board and his current Stepford Board had done the necessary remediation when the Town took over the property, we would be offering prime real estate, as opposed to contaminated real estate, either for sale or rent, commanding much more money than it is currently worth or that GameOn 365 would want to pay! Greenburgh is becoming the laughing stock of Westchester with all the bad deals The Paul has gotten us into. ‘Contaminated’ seems to be the operative word with every deal and interaction The Paul has in Greenburgh.

It’s apparent to all but The Paul’s loyalist followers that The Paul will not do the right thing here. He told the Stepford Board how he wants them to vote and they will follow orders, lest he invoke the Sonya Treatment against them. They will comply. The Town needs leaders that will do the right thing. The Town needs leaders that will be able to recognize when the Town will benefit and when it will suffer, learning to gauge their actions toward benefiting the Town, not uninvested investors. We can only hope.