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November 1, 2018 ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN PAGE 3

PLYMOUTH

Voters to decide future of PARC

Voters in both Plymouth and site and upgrade and renovate the contrary, Soenen said, the
Plymouth Township will decide the building facilities. President purchase documents, appraisals
the fate of the Plymouth Arts and of PARC Don Soenen has and financial documentation
Recreation Complex housed in expressed his confidence in the prove the legitimacy of the pur-
the former Central Middle plan and the financial viability of chase price.
School Nov. 6. the project, as have both city and “We've conducted two inde-
While the ballot proposal ask- township officials. pendent studies and both the
ing voters to approve .75 of a mill “The theater has to be a part township board of trustees and
to support the arts complex, of the project for it to be success- the city commission have thor-
known as PARC, seems straight- ful,” Soenen said. He explained oughly reviewed our plans,”
forward, it has become one of that the cost of the theater is $15 Soenen said.
the most contentious and divi- million and that the PARC He adamantly denied the
sive issues facing Plymouth vot- already owns the property which claims of the anti-PARC groups
ers. was purchased from the that this is some for-profit or
Supporters of the proposed Plymouth Canton Community money making scheme for him-
project, including preservation- School District following a pro- self or the Malcolms, characteriz-
ists Mark and Patty Malcolm, fessional evaluation and assess- ing it as malicious gossip and
have invested more than $3.5 ment of the land and buildings. completely untrue.
million into the purchase of the The Malcolms, whose preserva- Soenen said there is small
former Central Middle School tion efforts of the former group of opponents to the project
with more than $7 million Plymouth Post Office building who are using divisive and
pledged in donations, grants and recently won a state award, pur- untrue tactics to persuade the
private contributions for the chased an option on the property public that PARC and the
project, estimated to cost about at a cost of $3,350,000 which the Plymouth Arts and Recreation
$30 million. The facility has couple then donated to PARC. Authority (PARA) are attempting
drawn numerous non-profit arts There have been multiple other to perpetuate some untoward
groups now housed in the build- private donations in support of scheme on taxpayers.
ing, including the Michigan the facility, Soenen said, includ- “This is a straightforward
Philharmonic Orchestra, The ing $1 million from the Wilcox effort to promote arts and recre-
College for Creative Studies and Foundation. The balance of the ation for the city and township.
Friends of the Rouge along with funding from the millage will be These people are using social
about 30 other arts and recre- used to pay for renovations and media to spread untruths and
ation groups, who have leased repairs to the school, built in have gone so far as to threaten Notice of Property Tax Increase document and this is mail fraud.
offices in the building. A pre- 1916. baseless lawsuits about the pur- were delivered to area residents These people have tried to imi-
school is set to open next year in “The Wilcox Foundation chase of the property. They have from “The Office of Tax tate a government agency,” Heise
the facility and theater arts class- donation should convince peo- used scare tactics to attempt to Collection and Enforcement, said.
es are available, along with pot- ple of the viability of this project. convince people this is some One Plymouth Drive, Plymouth Opponents of the project did
tery and multiple other art disci- They do not take any investment unlimited tax, which it is not. It is Michigan 48170” recently. not return calls seeking com-
plines. lightly and thoroughly investigat- absolutely limited to exactly Supporters are incensed at this ments.
The proposed millage will be ed every aspect of the proposal,” what is on the ballot,” he said. tactic which contains, they said, “My door is always open. The
used to construct an 800-seat Soenen said. Soenen said he had no confir- misleading and false information opposition has never asked ques-
performance auditorium on the Despite gossip and claims to mation and could not speak to presented in a manner contrived tions. I've pleaded for a face-to-
” strongest opponents of the issue, Plymouth Township come forward,” Soenen said.
the motives of several of the
face meeting but no one has
to misinform and alarm voters.
He suggested residents with
We've conducted two independent studies and both but was well aware of the politi- Supervisor Kurt Heise said he questions or concerns about the
filed a complaint with the U.S.
cal ambitions which have been
the township board of trustees and the city rumored as the motivation for Postal Service against the group project or the millage, call him at
commission have thoroughly reviewed our plans. the overt hostility and tactics of listed as the sender of the fake (734) 927-4090.
opponents. tax notice. (Staff writer Don Howard con-
Misleading mailers titled “I believe this is a fraudulent tributed to this story.)