The Macy's Deception: How City Officials Lied to Justify a $7.5 Million Mistake The City Manager and Staff Misled the Council to Believe They Were Voting to "Save" the MallKey Evidence: Mayor Karl Mooney's Statement on WTAW (October 18, 2022)Mayor Karl Mooney publicly justified the
Macy's purchase by claiming it was necessary to protect the mall from an "incompatible use."
Listen to the full interview: https://wtaw.com/college-station-mayor-karl-mooney-on-wtaw-94/Quote from Karl Mooney (Oct 18, 2022) a short-time after the purchase:Quote:
"The city is not getting into the real estate business. We had folks that are planning to purchase that space and turn it into a use that will essentially end the mall, then you have to take steps. This was a preventative step."
The Truth: There Was No Real Threat to the MallThe "incompatible use" narrative was a complete fabrication.City records and emails reveal:Storage was never a serious possibility as CBL's existing tenant agreements
prohibited it.Private business owners were actively negotiating to turn the space into an entertainment venue not storage. The City Manager and staff kept this information secret from the City Council.Email evidence confirms that local buyers were in talks to turn Macy's into a bowling, go-kart, and entertainment center but the city shut them out of the process and falsely framed the purchase as a "protective measure."
FACT: The City Manager's office knew that storage was not a threat but still used it to manipulate the Council into approving the purchase.
The Council Was Either Lied to or Misled There Is No Other ExplanationMayor Mooney's justification for his vote
raises a fundamental question:Either Karl Mooney was lying, or the City Manager and staff intentionally misled the Council by withholding key facts.What We Know:The City Manager and his staff falsely framed the purchase as "protecting" the mall when it was never in real danger.
The Council was not given all the facts before the vote.
Key meetings and documents were withheld from the Council and public.
City officials actively covered up these facts rather than admit their deception.
It is irrefutable that the City Manager and staff did not act in good faith before the purchase and have worked overtime to cover this up since then.Final Conclusion: A Reckless, Deceptive Deal That Must Be Answered ForThis was never about protecting the mall.
It was about pushing a hidden agenda, using a false narrative.
City leadership must be held accountable for misleading the public and City Council.
The current mayor, city manager, and several key staff members need to be held accountable. College Station deserves leadership that acts transparently and in the best interest of its taxpayers.