By Susan Motander
The Monrovia City Council reviewed the qualifications of the five firms that responded to the city’s Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to build a hotel on what was a redevelopment agency-owned property at the southwest corner of Myrtle Avenue and Huntington Drive. In a Power Point presentation, City Manager Oliver Chi laid out the basic makeup of the five development teams and their financial situations. He also presented the evaluations made by the city staff after interviewing representatives and principals of all the firms.
Chi told the three members of council present (Mayor Tom Adams was on an excused absence and Councilmember Alex Blackburn had declared a conflict of interest as his office is within 500 feet of the proposed development) that staff had recommended the city enter into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with the Tharaldson Hospitality Development.
This firm’s proposal was to work with an entirely “in-house” team with a time frame of between nine and 12 months. They have suggested building a Towne-Place suites by Marriot at that pivotal corner. Chi explained that this hotel was designed to appeal to younger tech-savvy business travelers. He explained that a full restaurant was not planned, but that the hotel would have breakfast service and a bar.
In a brief discussion following the presentation, Councilmember Becky Shevlin expressed concerns that with such a fast building schedule the design might have a “cookie cutter” feel. Chi assured her the design would be one of the issues discussed during the negotiations with the developer.
All three councilmembers commented on the fact that the hotel would be within relatively easy walking distance to both the restaurants in Old Town as well as the new one being created at Station Square.
By consensus, the council members agreed that staff should move forward with bringing a formal ENA with Tharaldson at the next council meeting.
