Timeline of Rokakis, Cummins, Brancatelli deceit on near west side.

 Both Brian Cummins and Tony Brancatelli came to us as council representatives from the "Community Development" CDC world.   Cummins worked for Old Brooklyn Development Corporation and Brancatelli for Slavic Village Development Corporation.  Brancatelli was groomed to fill Ed Rybka's position - Cummins was not.  Emily Lipovan was groomed to fill the Rokakis council seat after he appointed Merle Gordon.  Gordon's CDC director Brian Cummins - facilitated the property transfers that benefited Rokakis' family (Glen Restaurant) for the CVS built on Memphis and Pearl.  Cummins also transfered the Wirth House to Art House using Community Development Block Grant funds-all to prime this commercial site for eventual demolition.  

When, Cummins decided to run against Emily Lipovan - I supported him.  Little did I know that the residents who voted for him started a chain reaction of revenge on the part of Jim Rokakis.  Cummins first term was initiated with transparency that soon degraded into a sychopantic plea for his intiation into the Rokakis-Forest City real estate club. Here's the timeline

Cummins - Ward 14 elected in 2006, starts term 2007:

2007 http://realneo.us/Is-Art-House-our-house [1] Cummins vows to save the historic property and then later reneges -the property is allowed to deteriorate under Rokakis-Lipovan loyalist -Sheryl Hoffman.

2008 Aberdeen Homes - demo'd with public funds http://realneo.us/image/aberdeen-investments [2] starting the mysterious wave of city demos in Old Brooklyn.  Cummins aide, Johanna Hamm and her husband Darren Hamm, fighting for their own political survival start moving Cummins towards the Rokakis development plan that includes NRP housing on Denison Ave.

http://realneo.us/blog/lmcshane/lake-erie-living  [3]

Cummins (and the Hamms) negotiate a secret giveaway of city-owned park property and demo of a historic property to the developer NRP for low income tax credits on a contaminated fill part of WC Reed Park. In Tremont - Frank Giglio's property is condemned and demo'd raising awareness of the scheme (Frangos-Rokakis) and property transfers http://realneo.us/content/tremont-social-capital [4]under Joe Cimperman as councilperson in Tremont.  Lily Miller begins long-term investigation of Plymouth Park Tax Services.

2009  Subprime mortgage melt-down - Rokakis and Frangos start crafting their exit plan legislating the Land Bank.

http://realneo.us/content/hush-money-bribe-or-donation#comment-33787 [5]

Cuyahoga County corruption probe unravels Dimora-Russo schemes, but Rokakis-Frangos get a pass. Cummins is still targeted and the ward is redistricted by Martin Sweeney (also named in the Cuyahoga County corruption probe) 

http://realneo.us/content/brooklyn-centre-old-brooklyn-targeted-slice-and-dice-council-leadership [6]

Cummins breaks away from CDBG support of Old Brooklyn CDC - over fall-out with Sweeney loyalist Kevin Kelley. Cummins uses existing non-profit (reinitiated by Darren Hamm) to support a housing code enforcer - Deb Zeleny.  Cummins is redistricted out of a ward and runs against Joe Santiago, who is supported by Sweeney and Frank Jackson (Rosemary Vinci connections for this ward) - Santiago is eliminated in the primaries and Cummins is up against Rick Nagin (Nelson Cintron's former aide) - Cummins gets mystery support and wins. Meanwhile - longterm plans for Slavic Village are hatched and protected. [7]

2010 

Brian just caves in to Rokakis after surviving his contentious election campaign with mysterious $$ assistance - Cummins shows up at Rokakis' fist-pumping City Club event: 

http://realneo.us/content/demos-developers-0 [8]

At this point - Cummins doesn't even pretend to care about his constituents, anymore - there is no communication from his office to residents.  The Coral Group plaza starts going into full depreciation mode.  Tenants leave and the property is allowed to deteriorate with no response from the councilperson.   Cummins aligns himself and his CDBG funds with the mega CDC Detroit Shoreway.  

2011-2012

 Residents are blindsided by two major failings on part of the council reps (at this time - now Cummins and Cimperman).  WC Reed Field is announced as contaminated and Aldis plans move to benefit Mitch Schneider at Steelyard Commons.  Cummins also decides that historic South Branch library of the Cleveland Public Library system should be used to dangle historic tax credits to developers.  He does nothing and literally encourages the library system to shut down the historic library and move to rent from a shady property owner on Clark Ave., instead.

 

2013-2014

(I will give Brian Cummins - ONE piece of credit - it did not endear him to Frank Jackson - He did stand up to the incinerator scheme with Peter Tien in 2013- [9] IT girl Jenita McGowan was hired to spin that piece of work - she is quiting the City of Cleveland now (Nov 2016) to go to NEORSD after having a baby...)

Cummins survives relection once again - against Janet Garcia and Brian Kazy.  Cummins wins after recount shows he has 19 more votes than Kazy.  Kazy is rewarded with Sweeney's council seat.

http://realneo.us/content/ty-chris-warren-brian-cummins-aldis-usa-first-interstate-and-mitch-schneider-reimagined-w-25 [10]

Benefactors of Cummins real estate dealings for the Masonic Building  - Ginmark is one of the contractors awarded major demolition contracts through the County Land Bank.  

 

2015-2016

Cummins and Brancatelli, in collusion with the Land Bank, Detriot Shoreway Development Corporation and Cleveland Housing Network [11] - conspire to demo the vacant eyesore with public funds to support a contract rigged scheme for OHFA funds to build  Permanent Supportive Housing on the bluff of the Big Creek Valley. [12]