Introduction: In a surprising move, the City of Oneonta recently granted a generous offer of four acres of prime real estate to Kingpins Bowling and Family Fun Center. The proposed $6 million facility, boasting bowling alleys, arcades, Axe Throwing, a kitchen, and a bar, is set to be constructed across from Walmart. However, concerns have been raised by Pamela Casey (also the District Attorney of Blount County) regarding the city’s decision-making process and the potential lack of due diligence exercised before approving the property transfer. Watch the video of Pamela Casey’s concerns here.
Insufficient Documentation Raises Concerns: At a recent city council meeting on May 9th, the process to begin the transfer of the 4-acre property for the bowling center was approved. Shortly after the meeting, it was discovered that Kingpins Bowling and Family Fun Center LLC did not exist and had not even reserved a name with the secretary of state until May 10th. This revelation, coupled with the city’s failure to provide crucial documents upon records request, has raised serious concerns about the validity and transparency of the property transfer. David King, the individual behind the bowling center, was at the May 9th meeting and projected the center would bring in a whopping $2.4 million in revenue per year. That is $6575.34 every day of the year including holidays. That is a very optimistic outlook for a county with a population of only 59,401 people. If a feasibility study is presented we will add it to the article.
Missing Documents and the Need for Due Diligence: Pamela Casey has rightfully voiced concerns about the lack of essential documentation provided by the city. Upon filing a records request, the only information she received was a few emails containing renderings of the proposed bowling center, a floor plan, and an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Noticeably absent were documents typically expected in such scenarios, including a comprehensive business plan, a feasibility study, proof of investment funds, and evidence of prior business experience. That’s really not much to ask for before giving away a piece of property potentially worth several hundred thousand dollars.
The Importance of Due Diligence: One cannot overstate the significance of due diligence in matters involving the transfer of valuable public property. The city’s failure to conduct a thorough investigation and obtain essential documentation raises questions about its decision-making process. It begs the question: why would the City of Oneonta give away such a valuable piece of property based on such limited information? If The City was given further information, it was not disclosed publicly.
Transparency and Accountability: As public servants, it is crucial for city officials to act in the best interests of the community they represent. Transparency and accountability should be at the forefront of any decision involving public resources. In this case, the concerns raised by Pamela Casey highlight the need for further scrutiny and an explanation from the city council regarding their decision to grant the land to Kingpins Bowling and Family Fun Center without sufficient proof the business is capable of success.
We reached out to David King, owner of Kingpins Bowling, for comment and he said the following: “To answer Pamela’s questions publicly I would say that it was a posted public hearing with my business on the agenda and she could have came and voiced her concerns at the meeting where these questions could have been answered. She instead used her personal Facebook to rail allegations of impropriety towards the council. When we went to the SOS site to file the business, we had some miscommunication and technical difficulties and that process failed early that day and it was then filed properly on the next. I started this process back in January when I filed the EIN and then opened my bank account in April. Her questions about Bobby Armstrong have no bearing on this venture as he is just a close personal friend who was able to do my paperwork for me while I was at work. The real estate will be transferred by the city to KPBandFFC following the survey and a contractual agreement that provides that if the building of the project doesn’t begin in a designated amount of time that we forfeit the property back to the city. The Angel investor who wishes to remain anonymous, has vast experience in business development in both commercial and entertainment ventures and has a great track record with those venues. Having had my own entertainment feasibility study done and then my investor having done their own study, they told me it was a no-brainer idea based on their numbers. Knowing the demographics and the community starved for something to do here, where they don’t have to travel out of their own county and send their money to other school systems, it really lends to a great business model. Personally, I have experience in running businesses at an administrative level, also having worked in the electrical field in construction for 30+ years also electrical service to residential and commercial customers. My background lends to public service and this is what we wish to provide to Blount Co. We don’t want to have to spend our money in another county just to have a family outing, so instead of complaining about it my wife and I went into an in-depth prayer. I’ve been bowling in leagues since I was 16, we thought it was a great idea to just build a bowling alley here along with an arcade and other amenities the city nor county has. We have an 11-year-old adopted special needs daughter and 2 foster kids (5 and 6) that we want to give a safe place to play and grow and have the same family memories I have as a child with my parents. So why can’t we have that here? And why not us? The Lord spoke and has opened doors and moved obstacles and guided us thus far and we just want to glorify Him by doing all we can to give back to the community and county by providing a much-needed entertainment service as well as help to the schools in Blount Co.”
Conclusion: Citizens deserve transparency with taxpayer assets. Pamela stated “I am not against the bowling center or progress” and I believe most people would agree with that statement. The residents of Oneonta deserve to know that their elected officials are using proper due diligence when bartering public assets.