TO BE CONTINUED . .
The stage was set for a dramatic conclusion to the long, drawn-out battle between Ray Patel, owner of the 55-room Golden Key Hotel, and billionaire developer Rick Caruso, the man who would be mayor of Los Angeles.
The setting was the Glendale City Council Chamber where the Council sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency with Councilwoman Laura Friedman president was set to vote on approving a staff recommendation to seize Patel’s hotell under eminent domain law and turn it over to Caruso to tear it down and build space for three new medium-sized retail stores on Colorado at the south end of his Americana at Brand.
Patel held a rally at his hotel with 40 or 50 supporters, including anti-eminent domain activists with the Institute of Justice that came from Sacramento and beyond to make him a cause celebre in the fight against the 2005 Supreme Court ruling that allow government agencies to take private property and turn it over to other private interests.
Caruso supplied coffee and pastries on City Hall grounds for his supporters in the business community, a crowd that roughly matched Patel’s body for body.
It was standing room only with more than 150 people jammed into the Council Chamber.. There were print reporters, three TV camera, bloggers with video cameras and laptops.
It was the biggest political drama to come to Glendale since the uproar back in 2004 when Caruso got approval to move ahead on the Americana after narrowly winning a voter referendum.
But then nothing happened.
David and Goliath were talking, not fighting.
Patel and Caruso and their lawyers were in a conference room discussing terms of a settlement of the hotel owner’s lawsuit against the Americana for disrupting his business during construction and for the sale of his property for more than the $6 million the developer has offered to this point.
The combatants finally came into the Council Chamber at 10:45 a.m. after two hours of private talks and the meeting began. It was over almost as quickly as it begin with the Council/CRA Board deciding not to allow the dozens of citizens to speak in public comment.
Caruso appeared to be in a somewhat dark and serious mood. Patel seemed bewildered by all that had happened as the TV cameras closed in and dozens of questions were thrown at him.
Talks are continuing, he said. There was no resolution of the conflict.
The Council/CRA Board meeting was continued until 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to leave time for Caruso and Patel to cut a deal that will save them from having to lower the axe and invoke their eminent domain power to take the hotel and turn it over to Caruso for a project that generates more revenue to the city and possibly upgrades to Colorado Blvd.
Ah… different CRA (Glendale), same KELO EMINENT DOMAIN crap.
I honestly thought we lived in the USA and if I legally purchased my land, it would remain mine.
Guess I was wrong.
I guess there’s not enough shops at the Galleria?
This is the reason everyone needs to get behind the Governor to drive a stake into the heart of the CRAs of the state.
No matter what the final outcome is, Glendale has proven beyond a showdow of a doubt that Redevelopment Law allows a total abuse of power and strips away any concept of due process or property ownership including owning a business. It also affects those working in the Hotel.
The law should never allow any private owner go to the government and ask them condemn another private property for them. The threat of condemnation is the same thing too. Why should one person be given preferential treatment over another by the Government.
In this case, a Billionaire, Caruso over a small business owner.
The law must be changed in California.
For now, you can vote with your feet and your pocket book.
Boycott Glendale and boycott all Caruso Affiliated malls.
And if Caruso runs for office, teach him a lesson to. Because now you have the power over him, just like he used his wealth and influence over the petty Glendale City Council.
My group is a sophomore with 4-year college now and such as the school. I want to fininsh off this emerging term i absolutely are able to send to a community higher education considering it’s cheaper. I plan on choosing the next semester in the closed circuit. And then as i be a junior, I’m going to a further 4-year college to help you move on. Might this universities I will be applying following 12 months surprise so why As i commenced as a student for a 4-year college but then thought to move over to a community colleges?