By Dustin Gardiner | The Arizona Republic
Real-estate developer Robert Lyles and his business partners wanted to transform a prime piece of land in downtown Phoenix into a bustling hub of apartments and condos, sidewalk cafes and shops. Before they submitted the bid to buy the city-owned property, Lyles said they shared their plans with City Councilman Michael Nowakowski to get his feedback as the area’s representative.
Five months later, Lyles said, something strange happened.