Failure to Pay Results in Revised Plans

PACIFICA, CA-A local developer’s mistake has proved to be a crucial element in the city’s decision to cancel development plans for a brand new $30 million hotel and convention center in Pacifica.

In 1999, the City of Pacifica and developer Barry Swenson Builders planned to build a new hotel and convention center on the city-owned Beach Boulevard site of the Sharp Park Sewer Plant. However, the city has tossed this plan aside and decided to pursue the development of a new city library and municipal facilities at the same site.

At a recent city council meeting, a representative for Swenson apologized to the city for missing an important deadline in November. The representative told the city that the company was still interested in developing the 20-acre project and proceeded to present the council with plans for the project.

Barry Swenson Builders missed its November payment of $25,000 to the city. According to the city council, the city’s contract with the developer automatically expired on Dec. 4, due to its failure to met the contract requirements.

According to the Swenson representative, the company has already invested more than $300,000 on the Pacifica project, and does not want to see that money go to waste. He says the company is willing to change the plans, if necessary. However, the city council was unsympathetic and decided to build a new city library instead.

The city council will now apply for a state library grant that could provide financing for a new city library at the Sharp Park location. The state grant process allocates bond money on a 65-35 percent match to winning cities.

One city council member tried to include Barry Swenson Builders in some type of partnership for the new library, but the other members did not approve of this. Instead, they told the developer to submit whatever proposal might seem helpful, or to attend the upcoming planning sessions on a volunteer basis. The council then council ordered city staff to prepare a draft plan that would locate a new library at the Sharp Park site.