Columbia Is Sued Over Columbia Crossing Development
Terry Grewe, of development company G.J. Grewe,
Columbia City Council meeting.


The city of Columbia is heading to federal court as a result of their
continuing squabble over the proposed Columbia Crossing development. Julie
Waters, an attorney for developer G.W. Grewe & Co., served notice of a
pending lawsuit against the city to Columbia City Attorney Tom Adams during
Tuesday night's city council meeting.


Adams received the paperwork as the council prepared to enter executive
session to discuss a separate legal issue regarding the Shoemaker School.
Following the executive session, the council agreed to accept the notice as
presented, allowing them 60 days to respond. There were an estimated 100 to
125 people at Tuesday night's meeting, which was moved to the second-floor
auditorium to accommodate the unusually large number of people in
attendance.


Grewe and his attorneys had warned the city council earlier this summer they
would take legal action if they failed to follow through in good faith on
previously agreed to provisions relating to the development.


The two counts of the lawsuit claim the city of Columbia is in breach of
contract and anticipatory repudiation regarding Columbia's alleged failure
in obligations of the Master Development Agreement. The agreement was a
contract signed between Grewe and Columbia in 2004 to reasonably cooperate
in good faith to obtain financing to fund the 3,000-acre Columbia Crossing
project. In the lawsuit, Grewe is asking for a settlement in excess of
$2,500,000 it has spent so far in the planning and development of Columbia
Crossing. In addition, per the Master Development Agreement, the prevailing
party would be responsible for payment of all reasonable attorneys' fees.


"I am disgusted with the developer," said Alderman Jay Unnerstall. "I hope
now the truth comes out in this matter."


The council has been deadlocked on this and other issues since the March
election when an Unnerstall-led faction took office and started voting as a
block resulting in a 5-3 majority against most matters regarding Columbia
Crossing.


The aldermen did vote in favor last night to release the funds to pay Horner
& Shifrin for engineering work conducted in 2006 at the Fish Lake
interchange on I-255, the future entrance to the large development planned
for the bottoms area. Voting for the measure were Dan Row, Fred Stumpf, Gene
Ebersohl, Mary Ellen Niemietz and Jim Agne.


County Economic Director Resigns: Mark Kurtz announced yesterday he is
stepping down from his position as director of the Monroe County Economic
Development Council. He was hired in March 2006 and was the first person to
hold that position. "He was a great asset to the county and we wish him the
best in his new endeavors," said County Commissioner Dale Haudrich. Kurtz
did not provide a reason for his resignation. The commissioners will soon
begin looking for a replacement, Haudrich said.

Monroe County Independent
Columbia, IL 62236
618-281-8000
www.mocountyillinois.com