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Not Exactly a Win/Win by bigjolly | 04/24/2007 8:23 am | Alert moderator Houston Mayor Bill White has finally loosened his choke hold on The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation. Rather than kick them into the street so that his developer friends could grab the property, he’s decided instead to shake them down for “only” $6 million dollars. And the Chronicle considers that to be a win/win. The residents are not the only beneficiaries of the deal, which appears ...

Editorial April 23, 2007, 10:09PM Coming to terms New deal for the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation is a winning proposition. At least 200 people will sleep a little more soundly knowing that the city of Houston and the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation were able to reach an agreement that will keep the center in place. Those for whom it has been a lifelong home will not, as had been feared, have to relocate because the city regarded the center's 99-year lease ...

April 21, 2007, 12:04AM Center makes deal with city to buy prime property Retardation agency will pay the city less than market value for its prime tract By MELANIE MARKLEY The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation will pay the city $6 million to buy the prime inner-city property it has occupied for more than 40 years, ending weeks of negotiations over a disputed lease agreement. The settlement was announced Friday by Mayor Bill White and David Baldwin, chairman of the center's ...

Red Ink: Texas Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Is Bill White going for the Trifecta of Shame? Most everyone has heard about Bill White's plan to kick the mentally retarded out of their homes. That news has a number of other non-profit charities scared. First back in 2000, the city renegotiated it's 99 year lease with The Lighthouse for the Blind, now they are going after The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, but there is a fundamental difference, while the city cited the ...

The Center's deal with the city Here's what we know so far: The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation will pay the city $6 million for prime inner city property it now uses in exchange for the services it provides, city officials said today... Click here to read entire blog>>>

The Center is saved! posted by Katie Laird at 4:18 PM on April 20, 2007 Good news for those following The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation vs. the City of Houston: the Center is saved! The Center and the city have reached a preliminary agreement which will allow the Center to remain at its West Dallas location and raise money to improve the Center's campus... Click here to read entire blog>>>

City, center for mentally retarded reach pact By MELANIE MARKLEY Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation will pay the city $6 million for prime inner city property it now uses in exchange for the services it provides, city officials said today... Click here to read entire story>>>

April 20, 2007 Dear Friends and Supporters of the Center Serving Retarded Persons with Mental Retardation: We are pleased to announce that we have reached a preliminary agreement with the City of Houston that will enable the Center to stay at our West Dallas Location for many years to come. Under the agreement, the Foundation for the Retarded will purchase the land and leases from the City for a price of $6.0 million. The City will also help provide the financing for the ...

The Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects, Houston passed the following Position Statement at its regular meeting on April 10, 2007. The statement will be presented to the Mayor and City Council tomorrow, April 17, by AIA Houston member Peter Boudreaux, AIA, of Curry Boudreaux Architects. AIA Houston POSITION STATEMENT April 10, 2007 RE: The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation Site Lease / Potential Sale The American Institute of ...

Something we missed over the weekend in the story of the city vs. The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation: On Sunday, the Chronicle published a letter from former City Attorney John Wildenthal about agreements the city had made with social service agencies like The Center. You may remember that the Chron talked with Wildenthal, who served as city attorney from 1964 to 1966 under Mayor Louie Welch, about the situation last week, and Wildenthal told the paper then that what the city ...

The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation signed a 99 year lease on a tract of city owned property in 1963. The Center was to pay $1 per year in rent, in exchange, the Center was to construct buildings and provide services for the mentally retarded. But the local real estate developers, who have Mayor White in their back pockets it would seem, lust after the six acres that sit between West Dallas and Allen Parkway near Shepherd Drive that the Center occupies. So the developers (Stan ...

Another development in the story of The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation's attempts to stay on its West Dallas Avenue land: The Chronicle reports that high-powered law firm Baker Botts has agreed to represent The Center pro bono in its dealings with the city of Houston. As we said yesterday... Click here to read entire blog>>

Viewpoints, Outlook April 15, 2007, 2:29AM LETTERS Former city attorney explains In the dispute over the city's contract with the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, it appears that Mayor Bill White would have been spared the painful duty of confronting the center, not to mention the risk of discouraging future gifts to the city, if the legal department had done more thorough research of the facts surrounding documents called leases. During the 1960s, the City Council ...

TO: Families & Guardians FROM: Jack Manning, Chairman, Center Lease Committee DATE: April 11, 2007 As you know, over the last several months we have attempted to work with the City to resolve our right to remain on our West Dallas campus. Although at times these efforts were encouraging, as we reported to you, the Committee was determined to remain prepared for the probability that PR, political and/or legal actions would be required. We prepared a website, proceeded ...

April 11, 2007 The Center at City Council Here are the latest developments in the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation saga: Baker Botts lawyer Irv Terrell confirmed Tuesday that his firm volunteered to represent the center after reading that city officials had declared the facility's 99-year lease invalid and were considering selling the land. "We think the center should stay exactly where it is and continue to provide the services it is providing, and we hope the city agrees ...

Center's nurse, mayor's honor As a nurse at the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, I want to comment on what it would mean to uproot the residents at our facility. With all of the advances in modern medicine, the mentally challenged are enjoying longer and healthier lives than ever before.   Because of this, many of our clients are outliving their parents — the reverse of previous generations. A large number have elderly parents or family members who are unable ...

Hundreds Rally to Save Mental Retardation Center Tuesday, April 10, 2007 By: Jack Williams A rally at City Hall to save a local center that's home to almost 200 mentally disabled residents is the latest chapter in what has quickly become a hot button issue. As Houston Public Radio's Jack Williams reports, both sides, the city and The Center, now expect... Click here to read full story>>

April 11, 2007, 12:05AM Big law firm helps center for mentally retarded in lease fight By MELANIE MARKLEY Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle A major Houston law firm has agreed to represent the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation pro bono in its fight to remain on prime city property near River Oaks. Baker Botts lawyer Irv Terrell confirmed... Click here to read full story>>

Supporters to Rally at City Hall for The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation Who: Several dozen advocates of The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, including parents and family members of clients. What: Rally supporting The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation’s efforts to continue providing educational, vocational and residential services to more than 600 clients in Houston in light of the city’s plan to ...