Just down the street, however, the owners of 1848 Story Rd. oppose being forced to sell their property to the city. The council agreed to give city officials an additional 30 days to negotiate with those owners after some strong words were exchanged between City Councilman Forrest Williams and Mayor Ron Gonzales. "Mayor you may not like that but people are concerned about our use of eminent domain,'' Williams said.
The city's Redevelopment Agency wants to acquire the entire Tropicana shopping center and have it redeveloped by a single developer. "We have entered into a development agreement for the entire shopping center, not just a portion,'' Redevelopment Agency Director Susan Shick says.
Gonzales says his decades of experience in local government have taught him that owners usually do not seriously negotiate to sell their property unless they are threatened with eminent domain. "I've been doing this for 20 years and I know the dance that goes on here,'' Gonzales says."People get serious after the council shows its seriousness.''
The city plans to use the property for a $50 million redevelopment project. To do so, it will acquire the land and give it to a private developer to turn the blighted Tropicana shopping center into an improved, Latin-themed shopping center. The project will include approximately 260,000-sf of new construction, integrating a mix of existing and new businesses into new stores, and an approximately 50,000 -sf "Mercado" that will accommodate between 40 and 60 small shops and vendors.
The council is scheduled to vote on eminent domain proceedings for the heart of the Tropicana shopping center on Nov. 19. The city has used eminent domain to acquire most of the 19-acre site for approximately $13.5 million. It has also offered various property owners about $3.4 million to buy three remaining pieces of land, which consist of a total of 1.5 acres. One of those owners is currently in negotiations with the city.
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