Donald Sterling May or May Not Be Building a Major L.A. Homeless Facility

Clippers owner Donald Sterling does not just take heat for his franchise's lengthy relationship with the bottom of the standings; his business ethics have been questioned, as well. Sterling is a real estate billionaire in Southern California, and over the past few years has fought a lawsuit from the federal government on housing discrimination charges. (They say he wouldn't rent out apartments to blacks or families with children.)

And now according to a lengthy LA Weekly story by Patrick Range McDonald, a massive homeless center Sterling has insisted he'll build for two years looks to be a big ol' ruse. From the story:

For nearly two years now, Sterling has been trumpeting the arrival of a brand-spanking-new medical and legal facility in the heart of Skid Row - the Donald T. Sterling Homeless Center. The advertisements promise a "state-of-the-art $50 million" building on Sixth and Wall streets, whose "objective" is to "educate, rehabilitate, provide medical care and a courtroom for existinghomeless." ...

These days, though, Sterling's vow to help the homeless is looking more like a troubling, ego-inflating gimmick dreamed up by a very rich man with a peculiar public-relations sense ... From homeless-services operators to local politicians, no one has received specifics for the proposed Sterling Homeless Center. They aren't the least bit convinced that the project exists.

The entire story (it is long) is well worth a read; all of the allegations in here would make James Dolan shake his head.