Alhambra : Talks on Senior Center

Sitting as the Redevelopment Agency, the City Council last week voted 3 to 0 to pursue negotiations with a developer who plans to build a senior citizen housing complex and retail center near Main and 5th streets.

C. W. Development Inc. of San Gabriel was chosen over three other firms after more than two hours of discussion. In deciding to sign an exclusive negotiating agreement with C. W. Development, the council rejected similar proposals from three other developers. One of the developers had also proposed building a 157-unit hotel on the site.

The hotel project, proposed by Main Street Partners of San Gabriel, had been rejected previously by the council when Councilwoman Barbara Messina, describing it as too massive for the site, voted against it.

Since council members Talmage Burke and Mary Louise Bunker must abstain because of potential conflicts of interests, three affirmative votes are necessary to approve a project at the site. Councilmen Michael Blanco and Boyd Condie favored the hotel project, but Messina remained opposed, questioning the hotel’s economic viability.