Updated Update, 8:50 p.m. Monday: Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock Real Estate Services says a report in the Motor City Muckraker that it put surveillance equipment on a downtown building without the owner’s permission is false, The Detroit News reports.
Steve Neavling of Motor City Muckraker defends his original report, although he corrects an original misstatement about a camera installation.
Louis Aguilar of The News reports that James Ketai, CEO and founder of Bedrock Real Estate says of the post:
“Nothing can be further than the truth; we don’t do that.”
He' responding to a post by Neavling that Grace Keros, owner of the American Coney Island downtown, demanded Bedrock remove a transmitter on a building owned by Keros because it was installed without her permission, The News reported. She also wanted a security camera removed.
Gilbert referrs to Neavling on Twitter as “dirty scum” and "lying, venom filled."
The News reports:
The camera and transmitter were installed by the former Compuware Corp., not Bedrock, Ketai said. Bedrock removed the camera and transmitter at Keros’ request because of work being performed on the building. Neavling acknowledged in a Detroit News interview that the camera was installed by Compuware, but he says Keros told him that the camera was being used by Bedrock without her knowledge. Bedrock officials said Monday they were not sure if the camera was being used as part of their security system.
“She’s been very supportive of our efforts in the past,” Ketai said.
The News writes that the camera wasn’t on the American Coney Island building, but another building owned by Keros that houses the Bath Tub Pub. It's on the same block as the Coney. The camera overlooked the Lafayette Green Community Garden, which was created by Compuware. Keros was no longer commenting on the story, the News reported.
Neavling has reported in previous stories that Bedrock has put security cameras on buildings without owners’ permission. Bedroock told The News that wasn't true.
Neavling amends his earlier post to say: "Keros said the camera was installed by Compuware, but she never gave permission for to Bedrock to use it."
He also posts this response on Facebook:
Some days, I want to bash my head against the wall at the ignorance of so many local reporters. I just got a call from Detroit News reporter Louis Aguilar about my story on Dan Gilbert erecting surveillance cameras without permission on buildings he doesn't own. Without bothering to call the businesses that had cameras illegally installed, Louis suggested that I fabricated the information.
Why does he think this? Well, because Dapper Danny told him so in an interview today. Never mind that I witnessed Bedrock executives apologize after installing cameras at 1515 Broadway and Detroit Beer Company, where the owners have been more than willing to talk to reporters. And forget that I watched Dan Gilbert's crew admit they drilled a transmitter into the brick facade of American Coney Island recently. I suggested Louis read the story below. He called it a conspiracy.
Here is the story Neavling refers to.
Earlier article:
Dan Gilbert appears to be on a mission to make downtown Detroit safer.
But not everyone approves of his methods, including an owner of the iconic American Coney Island on Lafayette Boulevard.
Steve Neavling reports at Motor City Muckraker:
As billionaire Dan Gilbert continues to amass an unparalleled collection of downtown Detroit’s buildings, parking lots and other prime properties, his Bedrock Real Estate Services is quietly ratcheting up what has become one of the most ambitious, state-of-the-art surveillance systems run and financed with private money.
Trouble is, Bedrock crews have been installing security cameras and other surveillance equipment without permission on buildings that Gilbert does not own, which Motor City Muckraker first reported in February.
While some property owners have reluctantly let Gilbert keep the cameras on their buildings, American Coney Island was not one of them. On Friday afternoon, the owner of the 98-year-old Detroit tradition discovered a Bedrock crew had surreptitiously erected a transmitter on top of her family’s downtown building without permission, not far from a camera that Bedrock was operating without her knowledge.
Neavling reports that American Coney Island owner Grace Keros told Gilbert's Bedrock folks Friday: “You don’t fucking own me. I want this off my building.”
Bedrock Property Manager Ron Gresens was irritated and walked off, seemingly puzzled that a business owner would be upset that a Bedrock crew trespassed and then drilled holes into the historic brick facade.
When I asked why Bedrock was installing cameras without the permission of building owners, Gresens repeated, like a broken record, “I don’t know what you are talking about,” before adding, “It’s none of your business.”
The cameras are monitored by Gilbert's security people in a command center downtown.
