OmniSource - Good Community Neighbors???

OmniSource is owned by Leonard Rifkin, Daniel Rifkin and other members of the Rifkin family. They, as group, own the 3rd largest privately held Indiana company with annual sales well exceeding $2 billion dollars a year. They should be commended for doing so well.

What can not be understood is the selling of original site of OmniSource on North Calhoun Street? They know that the site is contaminated with oils, other chemicals, and likely heavy metals. Now they wish to unload this property on the city and asking nearly top end price. They provided no discount to the very city that worked with them over the years as they grew their business and wealth.

The North River Task Force has several members that have direct ties to the Rifkin family. One has to wonder if this was by accident or design? Either way, it afforded a way of steering the entire group in pursuit of a desired goal. When areas of real concern where presented within the group, they where quickly danced around. In the end, the goal was reached that the future of Fort Wayne could not be made without buying this property.

Had the Rifkin family cleaned up the site and then donated it to the City of Fort Wayne many would look at this entire project a little differently. However, it appears the Rifkin family is seeking a way to unload a piece of contaminated useless property and make a big buck off doing so. The taxpayers of Fort Wayne will end cleaning up this site and spending millions of tax dollars to have it done.

The Rifkin family, in part, is the blame for the condition of the neighborhood to the immediate west of the old junkyard site. Those homes where nice middle class homes until the Rifkin family started expanding their operations on North Calhoun. Families fled from the dirt, dust, truck rumblings, operation's noise, and occasional fires to seek a more peaceful living.

The values of the homes fell as owners where faced with selling them for less value or turn them into apartments. While there was other businesses in the area, none of them played a more adverse roll on values of homes then OmniSource.

The Rifkin family has every right to do what they want with their wealth and property. Fort Wayne residents just do not have to think much of them as good community neighbors!