The Boutique Hotel to Nowhere, Part 2
The other day I described the history of the idiotic Boutique Hotel – a notion to build a high-end hotel on the site of the East Santa Fe parking lot at the Depot. The idea was, and is so stupid that it astounds any commonsensical thinker. And even worse, as the “unsolicited,” exclusive deal became less and less likely, the concept became bigger and dumber. The approved plan more than doubled the density allowed by the Transportation Center Specific Plan.
City projects are virtually immortal if they look like work for eager “economic development” bureaucrats or look like they can be sold as accomplishment by people like Ahmad Zahra and Shana Charles, who think (or pretend to think) that their gullible followers can be fooled into believing something good is happening.
Except that nothing good is happening. Our City officials increased the value of the property ten-fold through entitlements, but sold it for its original value – a staggering subsidy of at least ten million bucks. And that subsidy was handed to TA Partners, a flimflam operation fronted by a couple of con men, Johnny Lu and Larry Liu, at the end of 2022.
In the three intervening years nothing has happened so far as the public knows, even as TA Partners’ legal and financial woes have become public; woes that certainly should have been known by our economic development experts in City Hall prior to signing a contract, but weren’t. Why not? And why is the project at least two years behind schedule? Don’t ask. Fullerton being Fullerton.
The land was deeded over to Johnny and Larry without even an approved set of conceptual plans. But the deed was encumbered after a fashion with development and construction milestones.
And here’s the Schedule of Performance mentioned above:
I don’t know what sort of plans have been submitted, if any, but I know that grading should have started at least 20 months ago and hasn’t. And look at that project completion deadline – a Certificate of Occupancy by 10/21/26. That’s only nine months from now. As this fiasco looks worse and worse, not a peep from our friends at Fullerton Angry and Fullerton Transparency about the initial giveaway or the state of the schedule. They have more important if less expensive “scandals” to rant about.
Of course the paragraph tacked on to the Grant Deed, above, describes the covenants attached to the land, but that’s it. Other language talks about the City’s right to legal recourse if the conditions of the covenants are not met. That’s pretty toothless since lawsuits are always possible; there is no mention of Johnny and Larry surrendering their new asset, an asset whose entitlements could still make it worth a fortune. Why the City hasn’t already initiated legal action is a mystery worth speculating upon.
We all know that when it comes to Fullerton redevelopment boondoggles, nobody ever takes responsibility for failures. It’s just not good form to hold the masterminds accountable. Often it’s not enough to just keep quiet; sometimes staff actively tries to keep the boondoggle gasping for air so it can be reassigned to some new front man. That’s what I think must be happening now.
By the way, a majority of the current City Council has not voted for this hot mess. It’s a legacy mess.
It’s way past time to learn what’s going on, to find out what the status of the Boutique Hotel and Apartment monster and to find out why the City hasn’t pursued legal remedy to protect our interests.
Quirk-Silva is gone. Fitzgerald is gone. Chaffee is gone. Domer is gone. Levitt is gone.
In a year Zahra and Charles will be gone.
No one will be around who created this. But Sunaya Thomas the head of our crack “economic developments team,” the department that can’t even raise enough economic development to pay for itself will be here. Unless she gets a new job and flies the coop.
Hopefully you’ll be gone soon too. (0_0)
You wish. I’m dong fine. Got another 25 in the bag.
I will withhold judgment until Elijah Manassero has delved into this matter. Maybe Zahra has given him some more closed session information.
High density near transit is one of those rare things that the majority of research has reached a consensus on: it’s a good thing.
Johnny Liu appears to be a hack and I think most people would be glad to see him out of this deal. This project however is a great idea, and I would be happy to see additional revenue for the city if they cut out Liu.
Few ventures outside of hotels can really provide this sort of revenue. This is a big win for the majority with little effort.
The question is: are you more interested in helping the majority, or helping Bushala’s land holdings?
Haha. Elijah, you and your boyfriend Zahra are attached to Johnny Lu at the umbilicus.
Tony Bushala invented residential near transit in Fullerton.
“Few ventures outside of hotels can really provide this sort of revenue. This is a big win for the majority with little effort.”
What the fuck does that even mean? Enriching land and then giving it away? That’s your “revenue” mantra? You are too young to be losing your mind. Or maybe it’s just that CSUF education dragging you down!
That’s true about high density housing near the depot. Tony B. fought for that 40 years ago when nobody talked about TOD. Paul Dudley and the rest of the City visionaries fought him tooth and nail.
I remember Dudley wanted pointy roofs.
You used the word “majority” three time in that nonsensical spiel. How funny.
And revenue? Revenue from a make believe boutique hotel?
Zahra appears to be a hack. And Shana Charles’ first vote was to push this 11th hour disaster through. She was rambling about how the hotel would complement Fullerton’s urban forest.
No, you can’t make this stuff up.
Why has the Fullerton observer and Ssikis Kennedy said absolutely nothing about the boutique hotel boondoggle? Could it be that Amhad and Sheena want it all hushed up?
They made a huge stink about renting the loading dock that was unrentable to anybody but Bushala. Right next door a multi-million dollare cock-up.
You are an idiot.
Only on the Island of Dr. Zahra.
I added a comment over at the Observer asking where they will hold their protests once city hall replaces the lawn with rocks and cactus.
Needless to say they didn’t approve the comment.
I did add that that Damn Jung is always 10 steps ahead of them. Maybe this was the kiss of death!
KOREANS
What about them?
That’s hilarious. A rock garden. No good deed goes unpunished!
Yeah, I would say that last was the unkindest cut of all. All the Kennedy Sisters have is self-righteous outrage and the confidence of the ignorant.
Who is this Fullerton Transparency anyway? The Observer crowd?
That’s young Elijah Manassero fronting for Ahmad Zahra. Tender green twig has a “platform.”
Get ice out of California!!!!
Ice head quarters is in Tel Aviv!!!!
We have IDF wearing masks on our streets!!!!!!!
Wake up!!!!!
hack + hack + hack = elijah + shana + ahmad
Don’t forget the Kennedy Sisters. Enthusiastic hacks.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTniQ5UjwAl/?igsh=Mzc3ZTVlOWMwZA==
Lou requests. Repugs laugh at him.
3 years down. 12 to go;
Larry and Johnny walk away scot-free with $20,000,000 profit.