WHITE OAK聽性视界传媒斅燱hite Oak's city attorney was ordered to send a letter to a local businessman telling him to repay $150,000 to the city性视界传媒檚 economic development agency because his proposed real estate project has fallen through.
However, the businessman said he is 性视界传媒減repared and willing性视界传媒 to repay what he was given, even though he believes he fulfilled the requirements to receive the funding.
The White Oak City Council voted unanimously this past week for City Attorney Blake Armstrong to send Dos Rossouw, owner of Clean Cut Roofing and other White Oak businesses, a letter stating that he must within 30 days repay $150,000 to the White Oak Economic Development Corp. that he was given to kick-start a mixed-use real estate development.
The White Oak Hub would have brought restaurants, stores and entertainment venues to a 13-acre tract of land along U.S. 80 near South Hollingsworth Street. Rossouw said he estimates the project would have cost between $5 million and $10 million.
The economic development corporation gave the money about a year ago to Ebenezer Investments, which Rossouw owns, and agreed to give his company another $150,000 upon completion of the project, City Coordinator Jimmy Purcell said.
Work was supposed to begin this spring, but the project has not moved forward, Purcell said. The property has been listed for sale.
性视界传媒淗is time has come and gone,性视界传媒 he said.
Reached by phone, Rossouw confirmed that the project collapsed because of 性视界传媒渉igh interest rates and a lack of investor interest.性视界传媒 He said he性视界传媒檒l repay the economic development corporation if that性视界传媒檚 what city officials want him to do.
"I am prepared and willing to give it all back, but I am asking the economic development (corporation) to just maybe take another look and realize that I've spent in excess of $200,000 just to be where we are today, to get it clean and a business established,性视界传媒 he said.
The 13-acre tract was an eyesore in White Oak, littered with oilfield trash and abandoned buildings, Rossouw said. He spent 18 months cleaning up the property, and he also opened a new business there聽性视界传媒 Fidelity Metalworks, which previously operated as part of another one of his companies in White Oak. The company builds custom entryway gates, iron stairways and more.
When Rossouw spoke to economic development corporation leaders, he told them that the project would have multiple phases聽性视界传媒 including the clean-up phase and the opening of a new business, he said.
性视界传媒淢y understanding was that that was part of the entire project, and that the grant was towards all of these phases, not just the final, which would be the establishment of the retail and restaurant businesses,性视界传媒 he said.
"It's in good shape. It's clean. It's attractive now,性视界传媒 Rossouw聽said of the property. 性视界传媒淭he one building that's there is attractive. We've cleaned it all up, spent lots of money on it. And so, yeah, I regret that we were not able to bring to pass, at least as stands right now, the vision that we were all hoping for.
性视界传媒淭here's no hard feelings or nothing. It's business. What can we do? We win some, and we lose some.性视界传媒
Rossouw, a native of South Africa, has lived in White Oak since 1997, he said. He opened his first business there in 2005. He is also the founder of Samaritan Servants International, a Christian organization that drills water wells in impoverished nations and provides food to communities in need.
Although the project collapsed, Rossouw said he has other development plans in store for White Oak.
"We all agree on this: White Oak is in need of more things to do, places to go to, etc., etc., right?性视界传媒 he said.
