In the fall of 2003, Port Huron City Manager Tom Hutka, understanding that revitalization of Downtown Port Huron was of great importance to our community's future, put his downtown action plan into play.

On his own initiative Hutka developed a comprehensive 64-point revitalization plan called the "Downtown Port Huron Commercial Development Action Plan." Its foundation was the leasing or sale of city-owned properties, mainly parking lots and vacant land. With the City Council's full support, Hutka looked at more than 200 potential developers and sent proposal requests to at least 50 developers.

And then - nothing! Not one developer showed any real interest in Port Huron. That was until Dave Montross, a commercial real-estate agent with Delacy Real Estate, brought the Terra Land Group of Novi to the table. Now, almost four years later, we have lots of talk but still only one credible developer with a legitimate plan on the table, Terra Land. The company's creative "Vibrantization" plan was to spend $45 million in phases over the next several years to build mix-use resident and commercial developments downtown - just as it did elsewhere.

In fact, the company already had a proven track record right here in River City. It was Terra Land Groups' parent company, DeMaria, a $100-million-a-year company that was construction manager for the Blue Water Area Transportation Commission's new $14 million facility on Lapeer Avenue.

Transportation Commission Director Jim Wilson says DeMaria was fabulous to work with and delivered the facility ahead of time and $500,000 under budget - a rarity for public construction projects in the Blue Water Area.

Meanwhile, it appears the Port Huron City Council blew a major development, a $45 million development, for depressed downtown Port Huron.

But how and why?

In March of last year, Hutka apparently had worked out a deal. The contracts were written and just awaiting City Council's approval when from out of nowhere the Downtown Development Authority attacked.

Why? Can't tell you. It's a secret!

Hutka was blindsided. His project - Terra's $45 million downtown development - was dead. Remember: This was a project city voters approved just months before. A month later, Hutka was terminated.

It's hard to believe the Terra Land Group still wants to work with Port Huron.

But, the council now is stalling, using the excuse that they have to wait for the results from yet another $ 30,000 study, this time from Zimmerman Volt Associates Inc. It received the study April 15. Why the delay?

City Hall apparently is revising it.

What? Why would you pay $30,000 for a professional study then rewrite it?

Could it be the study's conclusions are so negative about Port Huron's condition that someone wants to water it down?

At the very least, City Council owes Terra Land and the citizens of Port Huron an apology.

The real challenge is to get Terra back to the table and treat it fairly!