Finnigan's Wake drops $74K request to fix up alley
Finnigan's Wake, the Northern Liberties bar and catering call run by a Democratic committeeman, has withdrawn a request for $74,000 from the Penn Treaty Special Services District to spruce up Bodine Street, a narrow alley that runs between the bar and the newly constructed Democratic City Committee headquarters. We wrote about the issue, predicting the request would be withdrawn, in today's Clout column.
Finnigan's Wake drops $74K request to fix up alley
Chris Brennan
Finnigan's Wake, the Northern Liberties bar and catering hall run by a Democratic committeeman, has withdrawn a request for $74,000 from the Penn Treaty Special Services District to spruce up Bodine Street, a narrow alley that runs between the bar and the newly constructed Democratic City Committee headquarters. We wrote about the issue, predicting the request would be withdrawn, in today's Clout column.
Penn Treaty Special Services District, issued this statement on its website today:
"In light of questions regarding an application for funding for enhancements for a proposed pedestrian walkway on Bodine Street, the Penn Treaty Special Services District wishes to clarify that no funding was or will be issued for this project. The applicant withdrew its funding request."
Bar owner Mike Driscoll made his pitch for the $74,000 at the district's June meeting, where a vote went in his favor. The district board, which does not meet again until September, doles out money from a $500,000-per-year fund set up by the SugarHouse casino and community members. The money for the Bodine Street project would not have been available until mid-September, when the board's coffers would have been filled again with casino cash.
Driscoll told us Thursday that he was willing to withdraw his request if the district thought the project didn't fit its mission. City Councilman Mark Squilla pushed legislation, approved by Council unanimously on June 23, to erase Bodine Street from the map and give the land to Finnigan's Wake. That legislation is now waiting for Mayor Nutter to sign it into law or veto it.
The PTSSD came very close to violating Private Foundation restrictions with the IRS. I am extremely upset over this, and that when PTSSD was created, it promised transparency. I sent this second email (below)... and I never did back a direct response.
http://www.philadelinquency.com/?page_id=816
Perhaps PTSSD should publish every grant application online that it receives BEFORE the Board meets. If the neighborhood is watching, then perhaps another applicant that threatens to put the PTSSD itself in legal jeopardy is less likely to happen again. They also need to get themselves a good accountant that can review their grants before they go out the door, or this will happen again.— EastChestnut- How many the guy pays for it himself instead of using city money?— flavious27
- Good thing the PTSSD isn't a Private Foundation.— Kaiser Sosa
Comment removed.
Follow Chris on Twitter
David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
Follow Dave on Twitter.
Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
Follow Jan on Twitter
Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
Follow Sean on Twitter
