Irish bank in Channelside stalemate files for bankruptcy protection

Source: Tampa Tribune, Fla.迷你倉出租Aug. 28--TAMPA -- The Irish Bank Resolution Corp. Ltd., which has been in a stalemate for months with the Tampa Port Authority to find an operator for the struggling Channelside Bay Plaza, filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection Monday.The filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware may add another layer of complication to the port authority's efforts to find an operator who could achieve Tampa's ambitious goals for the complex once envisioned as a keystone downtown entertainment, restaurant and retail center."As of late (Wednesday) afternoon, the Tampa Port Authority has not been served with, nor received notifications of any court filings," port spokesman Andy Fobes said. "Therefore we cannot provide any comments."Irish Bank Resolution owns the buildings on the site the port owns, so the two parties would have to agree on a new operator, but those efforts have failed.In addition, the port is su迷你倉ng the bank in a case scheduled for trial in Hillsborough County in November, alleging the property has fallen into disrepair.And at the port authority board meeting earlier this month, board members gave chairman Steve Swindal the authority to find and negotiate with a prospective operator, but it was unclear how likely that could be given the complications between the bank and the port authority.While some of the pertinent documents have yet to be filed in the proceeding, the filing is intended to protect Irish Bank's U.S. assets, which include its Channelside interests.Chapter 15 filings are used when a debtor is subject to laws of both a foreign country and the United States and can protect foreign companies from U.S. lawsuits.tjackovics@tampatrib.com(813) 259-7817Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Fla.) Visit the Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Fla.) at .tampatrib.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存倉