The Bushala Depot Lease: Fear and Loathing in Boohooville
On tonight’s City Council meeting agenda you’ll see an item about a lease revision at the historic Santa Fe Depot between the City (owner) and the leasee – Bushala Brothers. Inc.
Apparently the Bushala’s have been trying to get a lease on the entire loading dock portion of the Depot for the better part of 10 years while rolling it into an updated lease for the entire building. These efforts seem to have been met with the usual obstructionism from City staff, who in the past seemed happy to stall and temporize.
But mirable dictu, the Age of Miracles isn’t past! A lease has finally been agreed, and the opportunity to see a successful adaptive reuse of the loading dock into a commercially viable space may be at hand.
Happiness all around, right?
Heavens, no! Enter Ahmad Zahra and Fullerton Boohoo. The new running dog for this dog and pony operation is a sweet young thing named Elijah Manassero who writes articles for the Fullerton Observer attacking Tony Bushala and using the phraseology of Zahra and Vivian Jaramillo. Apparently Elijah has taken to social media to proclaim his outrage over the Depot lease.
Crazy deal? Insanity? Really, innocent, young Elijah? That’s what you wanna go with? No “City taxes” are spent on this arrangement and there is no subsidy, ya poor, dumb sap.
Now we may be sure that the “well below market rate” nonsense was fed to him by Zahra or somebody else who knows even less about commercial real estate – like Skaskia Kennedy who is also parroting the idiot “subsidy” line. The fact is that there is no other potential tenant with any interest in the loading dock and never has been.
A tax-paying tenant on the loading dock would increase sales taxes to the City. Having no tenant contributes nothing, a fact that has escaped poor young Elijah and the younger Kennedy Sister.
Over thirty years ago the Bushala’s were the only respondent to an RFP by the City of Fullerton to lease and restore the Santa Fe Depot, a fact reflected in the lease value – then and now. The restoration was successfully performed and the building is now on the National Register of Historic Places – an undeniable and rare success story for Fullerton Redevelopment.
More recently, the Bushala’s have donated tens of thousands of dollars in labor and material to help volunteers perform stabilization and repair efforts on the loading dock roof structure that the owner – the Fullerton taxpayers – haven’t had to spend a dime on. More malfeasance, naive Elijah?
It’s way past time to put the loading dock platform to productive use – use that is profitable to the taxpayers pliable young Elijah and Fullerton Boohoo pretend to care so much about.
And tonight’s the time to finally do it.
so 30 years ago nobody responded and now that means we should never issue an RFP again? I know this blog loves to suck of bushalas but even this is a little over the top
An RFP for what? The lease isn’t up. You are really ignorant.
if its not up why do they need to renew it?
Lease expires in 2027. Let’s have an open bidding process then. It’s only fair, and if the current amendment is fair market, the Bushalas shouldn’t object as they’ll get the same deal.
Try again. There are two ten year options.
The outrage on this is ridiculous. Where is the outrage surrounding other city leases? The outrage is specific to everything Bushala because the Observer, Charles, and Zahra view him as a boogieman.
Zahra, Charles, Observer, and Boohoo are all economic dyslexics.
This item was continued. I wonder why.
No Dunlap. Nothing new.
The depot was nominated a historic site in 1991 and formally listed 1992. The Bushalas had nothing to do with it lol.
This is weak. If he’s paying fair market, let’s have an open bid. He should surely get the same deal, no?
Bushala Brothers, Inc. hired Dianne Marsh to draft the application for the Depot’s inclusion in the National Register. This application was submitted to the State Park Services prior to the execution of the lease, acting in good faith.
Considering this blog suckles at the Bushala teat it’s not surprising you’ve got a major hard on for Bushala Co. to secure this lease extension. The current lease expires in less than 2 years. The City, and taxpayers, would be better served by releasing a new RFP to find a new operator and then thank and excuse Fullerton’s favorite slum lords. If they only put in as much effort into their derelict rental properties around town we’d all be better off. Bushala Inc. spends a ton of dough bribing elected and wannabe elected officials every election cycle so it’s probably a sure thing they’ll get this extension. Valencia I’m sure is already prepping her knee pads before this vote.
Hey keyboard tough guy, if it is such a sure thing, why comment and waste all of our time? Nothing better to do I guess huh?
If your time is being wasted, then why comment at all you cunty piss flap?
Sounds like hoogerhooter.
Like the RFP for the adjacent 2 acres where Charles and Zahra voted to upzone the parcel and then give away 14 million to phony developer?
Oops. No RFP!
The current lease has 10 year options, dumb fuck.
Elijah Manassero’s LinkedIn says his very limited work experience gives him a grounded understanding of read-world problems…what the fuck does that mean? The Kennedy clan giving this know nothing know it all a platform for his uninformed opinions is on brand with the Observer.
Bushala, an influencer Eli? Didn’t have that on my BINGO card buddy. Idiot.