On June 27, 2009, the San Diego Union Tribune published an editorial criticizing the Escondido City Council majority’s rejection of the latest offer from C. W. Clark. The editorial implied that the original Hotel deal with a neighboring multi-story condominium complex (on what is now one of Escondido’s few public parking lots) would have been a great deal for Escondido.

Anyone who drives down Escondido Blvd. cannot help but notice two blots on the landscape in the form of uncompleted and abandoned condominium projects. The last thing Escondido needs would be another such blight. The condominium complex that was part of Clark’s original proposal would have placed the jewel of Escondido, her historic Grand Ave., in a shadow and caused Grand Ave. merchants to lose incalculable business from the loss of easy parking and construction interruption.

The editorial also noted that the Hotel Project would have brought 200 permanent jobs to the city. Yes, that’s certainly what Escondido needs, 200 more minimum wage jobs. The few management jobs would most likely have been filled by employees brought in from other parts of the country.

C.W. Clark has long been a favored developer for the City of Escondido. He was given $25,000 some twenty years ago to improve the appearance of the old J.C. Penney building that was abandoned when the North County Fair mall opened. He kept the money, but did nothing to improve the building. Finally, some ten years later, the City demanded that he return the $25,000, which he did, without any interest payment.

Then there was the Gateway Center deal. C.W. Clark was given over half a million dollars in fee waivers. The net result of that new center was to move existing businesses from one strip mall to another, leaving the old strip malls with vacancies. There were those on the Council at the time who argued for a better use of that land than another strip mall, a use that would have given Escondido the diversity of revenue it so desperately needs.

It is not surprising then, that when the City of Escondido put out a Request For Proposals for a downtown Hotel Project to be built on city-owned property—a request that offered no subsidies, it was C.W. Clark’s proposal that was given the nod. Unlike other potential hotel builders, C.W. Clark was confident that he could get the City to subsidize his venture. And the City, led by Mayor Lori Pfeiler, seemed pleased to pony up some $19 million in subsidies along with a ten year forgiveness of land lease payments.

Isn’t it curious that when it was becoming obvious that the City Council Majority had turned to no longer favor spending $19 million on a hotel in a time of budget crisis, Clark suddenly found he only needed $13 million? Why not $5 million? It would be great to have a hotel downtown, but the deal with Clark has always been a loser for the City of Escondido. Let the city put out a new Request For Proposals. If there truly is a market for a hotel in downtown Escondido, there will be builders, perhaps even C.W. Clark who will submit new proposals.

Margaret McCown Liles