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Convention
Center: We’ll Leave the Blight on for You Normally, the Grass Valley City Council deserves praise for building the economic future of Nevada County -- annexations, business parks, infrastructure improvements, etc. By contrast, the County Supervisors (even the so-called "pro-business" ones) do little to promote economic growth, and the Nevada City City Council is content to keep Nevada City a moth-eaten Disneyland. Unfortunately, when it comes to a convention center, the Grass Valley City Council is clumsier than an ostrich in a porta-potty. Take a look at The Union’s front-page story of July 29th, "Council looks favorably on center." Read my lips. It’s not a convention center -- it’s a hotel. Here’s how the tale goes: The City Council spent a bunch of money to hire "hospitality consultants" PKF Consulting of San Francisco (who work with big cities like Singapore and LA). Clearly, they hired the wrong company. The Council wanted to learn if a hotel would be viable in Grass Valley. Oops! They examined the wrong problem. What a waste of the city’s money! The viability of any business is a risk the owner takes. And if a new hotel in downtown Grass Valley were such a hot idea, you can be sure that by now Marriot, HoJo’s, and Holiday Inn would have sent their professional siting staffs here for a look. Anyway, one year later, PKF has reported that a hotel would probably work. They also submitted a lovely watercolor rendering, which appeared in The Union. Of course, this drawing bears no resemblance to real life, especially when you figure that the proposed site abuts the noisy freeway in place of the Gra-Neva Quonset hut. The consultants report that a downtown location would be a "great attraction" and "really sell the hotel in the future." Well, a hotel room isn’t exactly why people vacation in the country. The consultants also gush over a "large fireplace in the lobby." Just what a tourist needs in August! The article says the hotel would have about 75 rooms, and charge about $90 a night. There would be 8000 feet of retail space. There’s precious little about convention facilities, except for some peripheral mention of meeting rooms, with no number, size or capacity specified. This is ludicrous. Why should we care about a privately-owned hotel that does nothing for the community? It’s not a convention center. The rest of the article should make you ill, talking about the cost of development, and how public "jump-start" money might be needed! And what are the economic benefits? Microscopic!
By the way, we don’t exactly lack for places to say. After 10 years here, I can tell you I’ve never met a tourist who had trouble finding a room, or came here because of a hotel. You know, even if this proposal was for a convention center (which it certainly is not), who would use it? I don’t think we’re going to draw the AMA, the NRA, or the PTA. Who are the users? Please recall that big events go to the LA Convention Center, Sacramento Convention Center, Cobo Hall, McCormick Place, Moscone Center, and the Anaheim Convention Center. By the way, not one of these is affiliated with a hotel. In my view this No-Tell Motel isn’t needed, interferes with free enterprise, doesn’t create significant jobs, generates no commerce, and has already cost the taxpayers money for a survey. But to be fair, I guess I could support it if the owners would rent it out as a juvenile detention facility during the week. I suspect Grass Valley could benefit from revitalization. I suspect there’s some value in a real convention facility. However, I’m starting to worry about Grass Valley when its civic leaders think a bronze horse, a downtown clock, and a cheesy hotel will guarantee a bright economic future. Barry Schoenborn is a technical writer, and a ten-year resident of Nevada County. You can write to him at barry@wvswrite.com. The opinions of columnists are not necessarily those of The Union. |