Nugget Project: Meet the developer (updated)

The developer chosen for the Carson Nugget Redevelopment Project will be on hand tonight to answer questions about the project.

Rick Oshinski, CEO of Sacramento-based P3 Development, will appear before the Carson Nugget Development Advisory Committee tonight in the Community Center's Sierra Room.

Carson Now plans to show live video of the meeting, as well as hosting a discussion forum.

Many questions are sure to arise, concerning the details on the project and its scope, as well as the developer and how the company was chosen.

As I've been talking to people about this project, I've collected a number of questions, that I put together below.

Please feel free to submit your own questions in the comment section, or email them to me at kc@carsonnow.org and I will add them to the list.

Questions

--For Steve Neighbors, how did you pick the committee that selected this developer? How did you select the three finalists? Did you advertise this project anywhere?

--Why wasn't a local developer selected?

--Will P3 Development employ local contractors to do the work? Can we get some kind of guarantee that a majority of the work goes to local contractors?

--City officials estimate that for this project, they can pitch in $12 million from an 1/8 cent sales tax increase, and $13 million from future property tax gains. Will the city have to put up any more money than that to complete this project?

--Will the developer ask for or be given any guarantees that could cost the city more money in the future, as has been the case with the Reno Aces baseball stadium deal that Lewis put together?

--Is any part of this project going out for open bidding? How do we know we are getting the best deal for our money? How can the city spend $40 million without open bidding?

--According to Neighbors' past statements, the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation will lease the land to the developer at a bargain price. The developer will then sublease the land to the city for the library, incubator, plaza, etc. Is the developer going to pass along this bargain rate, or if not, how much will it be marked up? How are these lease rates going to be set?

--Is there an option for the city to buy the property, or set up a lease-to-own deal so the city isn't paying lease payments forever?

--Plans for 177,000 square feet of office space would require the creation of somewhere between 500 and 900 new parking spaces in the project area. Considering that the project will take away many existing parking spaces, you could be looking at needing a multi-level parking garage close to the size of the one at Reno-Tahoe Airport. Who is going to pay for this?

--Will the parking garage charge for parking?

--Who is going to pay for the operations of the business incubator and digital media lab?

--In March, Mark Lewis said it was "critical" to the project to get agreements with three state agencies to move to this new development. Considering the $3 billion hole in the state budget, and the rent reductions local landlords are giving out, what makes you think you can get these agencies to move?

--Can you hit the deadline to break ground this year?

--Since the Nugget isn't donating the land, are they putting up any money for this project? Do they have any skin in the game?

--Can we get this project put on the ballot for a vote of the people?

--Since this is a private developer chosen by a private party, where is the public accountability? How can we hold these parties accountable?

--Will the planning for this project be done in public or private?

--Will there be residential condos as part of this project? What evidence do you have of a demand for residential space in downtown Carson City?

--Mr. Oshinski, your company ran into problems as part of the Stockton development project you were involved in with project consultant Mark Lewis, including losing a $62 million hotel to foreclosure. Can you explain what happened, and why nothing like that will happen this time? Were you really trying to sell $750,000 condos in Stockton?

Update: Here are some reader questions:

--If this is a private development, why is the city involved at all in the selection process of the developer?

--Would like to know how a library is to be a economic development tool to revive the downtown when libraries everywhere provide free services to those who do not own computers. How will a library create new jobs? Those who work in a library are public employees. How will a library help the sales tax receipts of our city? How will a library stimulate business especially when the plans call for the library to be all things to all people and will contain a coffee shop, meeting rooms, etc.

Later update:

--To Mr. Neighbors, did you not tell the Carson City Library Board of Trustees on 11/20/09 that it was your hope and plan that the land for the library would be donated to the City? What changed? If you say nothing has change: Are you willing to put it in writing and sign it, that the Nugget and the trust will donate the library's land to the City?

--To Mr. Neighbors, did you not tell the Carson City Library Board of Trustees on 11/20/09 that "thousands of jobs" would be created after the project was built? Explain how this will happen. Show us similar projects in cities the size of Carson City where "thousands of jobs" were created.

--Why did the selection committee look at only 2 developers? Are there not any Nevada developers qualified to do this type of project?

--Mr. Neighbors, as you use often the words "accountability" and "transparency," toward that end will you make the Mae Adams Trust terms public?

--What are the deals between the Nugget, the Trust, Lewis, Neighbors, and the developer?