Follow the Money: Weighing in

EAST TOLEDO - Some of the money spent for the Toledo Marina District project is producing results.

Riverside Drive, which used to be the Main Street entrance for the demolished Sports Arena, is ready to go. It is paved, has hundreds of parking spaces, and street lamps.

But most of the marina development resides in architectural sketches. But so far, with about $18 million in grants, the sketches have not come to life just yet.

"It's just, like, ridiculous," said Deb Wolf, a Toledo resident.

"I don't know if it's being wasted, I think it's just being held up," said Nick Carlo, a Toledo resident. "You have the political game going, and with the city council going against each other, let's get together and work as a team."

"I'd like to see a balance sheet to see where it's going," said another Toledo resident.

"There's a lot of infighting," echoed Dan Roshon. "Too many people ignore the greater good."

The short answer is that much of the money has gone to cleaning up the formerly contaminated site.

"I believe if you go around the country, any city that's blessed with a dynamic riverfront like we are has taken advantage of that," said Councilman George Sarantou.

"Toledo has the capability to get things done, because we do have the arena and Fifth Third Field," added Roshon. "It would be nice if it could all come together, and it's frustrating when it doesn't."

"It's too public and some people have had too high of an expectation because they've heard political promises about timing and so on," said Larry Dillin, lead developer on the marina project.

Dillin compares the Toledo marina project, which to date has cost about $57 million, to a far less publicized development, Levis Commons in Perrysburg.

"This is a project that's had too much public scrutiny," Dillin said. "By comparison, Levis Commons worked under the radar screen for a very long time before it went public."

"I mean, with the economy the way it is understandable, but I'm just really glad that first of all they got the Mud Hens thing done, and with the hockey, I'm real excited about the arena," added Wolf.

Don't think Toledo's new boss isn't watching the project, too.

I don't know how you can justify spending money for something like a Marina District, especially now when you can't afford to pick up your garbage, you can't afford to add police officers here," said Mayor-elect Mike Bell.

Part of the problems aren't mis-spending. It's the bottom falling out of the economy - basically, Wall Street hitting Main Street in Toledo.