LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A local developer may be losing its women-owned
business status. Overlook Development used that status to apply for millions in
government financing to build a controversial apartment complex. And now records
show it's not the first time.
The Whispering Woods housing complex is an LDG Development. It says so right
on the sign.
But records reveal Whispering Woods was built using $337,500 in tax credits
from the Kentucky Housing Corporation. The low interest financing was obtained
using the women-owned business status.
But LDG Development is not women-owned. Overlook Development is.
"They are two completely different legal entities," said Michael
Gross. Gross is a project manager for Overlook Development, but you can reach
him at his LDG Development email address or at LDG's business office, which
just happens to be Overlook's business office, too.
This reporter went to that office looking for Lisa Dischinger. She's the
woman listed as the owner of Overlook Development and the reason Overlook
qualified for the hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax credits at Whispering
Woods and more than $14 million in low-interest government financing for
Frontgate Apartments, a controversial new affordable housing project in
Highview. But Lisa Dischinger's father-in-law said she doesn't work there.
When asked if Lisa worked at all, Ron Dischinger said, "not right now,
no."
Gross said Lisa Dischinger works from home and that her father-in-law just
got mixed up.
"The primary people in these developments are well-known and it's easy
to see how people can get confused between one entity and another," Gross
said.
Even Gross seemed confused when he showed up at a community meeting about
Overlook's new low income housing project wearing an LDG shirt alongside LDG
owner, Chris Dischinger.
He's Lisa Dischinger's husband.
Neighbor Jon Bingham filed a complaint with the Louisville Metro Human
Relations Commission over Overlook Development's women-owned status -- a certification
that is no more.
Records show it expired on January 3, and the Executive Director of the
Human Relations Commission said it had yet to receive a renewal application
from Overlook, meaning the company no longer is eligible for women-owned
business tax credits.
The Kentucky Housing Corporation said because that women-owned business
certification was in place at the time of Overlook's application for Frontgate,
Overlook's loss of women-owned status will not impact the special government
financing for the low income housing development.
Copyright 2013 WAVE News. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WAVE, a Raycom Media Station. 