What a waste wrote on Jul 24, 2008 4:11 PM:The $575,000 should have been loaned to School of Business and Technology! More Taxpayers money going down the drain.

Hmmmm wrote on Jul 24, 2008 4:18 PM:And when it came to selling Marina Towers land the city stated it shouldn't be in the landlord business. What is this deal all about then? Come On! $575K for this? What a joke! There go the water rates again! If this is really approved it is time to fire city hall!

Bad investment wrote on Jul 24, 2008 5:13 PM:The redevelopment agency in Oceanside is way out of whack. The city constantly is pumping money into old buildings and converting them to a use that does not bring in much revenue. Lets name some other notable waste of money. How about the Brooks Sunshine Theatre. We know it was donated to the city but too much money was spent renovating that building for the usage and revenue. Now we have the Old Playgirl club. Again redevelopment overpaid for this old building and now they want to renovate it and put in another low revenue producer. Downtown should be able to fend for itself now especially after the construction of the time share, and planned hotel . It is time for the redevelopment agency to start reimbursing all the money they funneled away from the general fund and use that money in neighborhoods were it is more needed. I am tired of seeing downtown businesses and residences increase their property values at the expense of the rest of Oceanside. Sell the Playgirl Club city officials and put the money back into the general fund and let the person who buys it tear it down and construct something new and unique.

Bad Investment wrote on Jul 24, 2008 9:35 PM:Yes, you are probably right; Oceanside does not deserve culture even if it is only surf culture. If Council Member Sanchez had her way the Playgirl Club would still be in operation today as she voted against the acquisition of this naughty venue. You are on the right path McVey, stay the course.

Penny wise but pound foolish wrote on Jul 24, 2008 9:50 PM:Were was Ms. Scott when we sold the Marina Towers? She has no opinion regarding a $60 Million give away, but feels compelled to opine on this?

I remember too wrote on Jul 24, 2008 10:00 PM:I remember when Council Member Sanchez voted against acquiring this downtown nuisance, and Penny Wise you are right Nadine Scott is a clone of Sanchez only taller and much better looking.

Blighted building into surfer butterfly wrote on Jul 24, 2008 11:30 PM:The owner of the playgirl club died soon after the city gave him an enormous amount of money for the "business" and the building, so the club was on its way out and the city could have paid alot less for it. That happened years ago. Now the Surf Museum wants to partner with the city to build a great museum that will bring alot of tourists and their dollars to the city. So, they want to renovate a blighted building and convert it into something that will bring hundreds and thousands of people to Oceanside. Pardon me, but I do believe that is in fact the definition and goal of "redevelopment." I think it's a great idea!

Fire McVey wrote on Jul 25, 2008 12:34 AM:As usual McVey great idea for economical development is to spend City and tax money. Fire McVey and Baker and hire someone who knows how make money for Oceanside. By the way McVey the Oceanside Arts Commission has "volunteers" with more experience with museums and arts that you will ever have.

Surf Museum wrote on Jul 25, 2008 12:40 AM:It is great to have the museum in Oceanside but it could at least have a plan for supporting itself.

John wrote on Jul 25, 2008 1:31 AM:What is the matter with all our elected officials. This is a plain waste. We gave them the club and then loan them?? This is a terrible waste. I will not vote for anyone who votes for this. We have homeless, hungry families who need the money more.

Paul wrote on Jul 25, 2008 1:36 AM:I know two people who want to buy the property and were turned down. Now we give it away with a $575k loan which will never be paid. What is the collateral? How much does the museum cash flow? No wonder we have a depression with money handlers like this at all levels. Stop.

Next Door wrote on Jul 25, 2008 7:32 AM:It would seem to me that McVey and the City would get rid of the lousy dirty book/video/peep show store front next door before expecting locals and visitors to bring children to this location. The dirty newspapers children can buy next to the old museum location needs to go as well. Then get the smokers and drinkers in the bars across the street and up the street to stay inside instead of standing around on the sidewalks in front of these bars. Long way to go before becoming an ideal tourist attraction or local place to take children.

Oh Boy wrote on Jul 25, 2008 10:00 AM:They are fixing up the strip club! I am moving to Oceanside! Partee!!!

Oside Mama wrote on Jul 25, 2008 12:41 PM:While I appreciate the intent behind expanding the Surf Museum to bring more tourism and support the arts and culture of Oceanside, I don't understand the method. I also agree with "Next Door" above, that the "sex shop" next to the "new museum location" would make it unappealing to local Oside families and tourists. Once again, we go at the improvement of Oceanside backwards. Let's get some new "business minded" people on the city council. What we currently have is NOT working!

Wake up wrote on Jul 25, 2008 8:04 PM:Surfers, strippers, and Marines have long been a part of the pleasant ambiance that is Oceanside. If gentrification is what you desire, Del Mar is just down the street. Load up your Kia and head south. I've lived here for decades, and can tell you that not all of the "positive" changes have actually been positive. You're for the most part, a bunch of johnny come lately's that are full of criticism for other's actions, but offer no assistance other than to squawk about what you view as problematic. You're reminiscent of a large flock of babbling "Obamas", full of criticism and devoid of solutions. While your angry fingers frantically collide with your keyboard at your new found opportunity to complain, I'm looking forward to the new museum in our community. It's an integral part of Oceanside's culture. Choke on it.

Bad deal wrote on Jul 25, 2008 8:46 PM:Market rent would be easily $5,000 a month. $5,000x12x5+575,000=$3,575,000
divided by 40,000 projected visitors is a cost to Oceanside of $89,38 a visitor.
If, according to a museum board member, these are people cannot affort to pay an entry ticket of $1 or $2, they will certainly not spend $90 each. Bad deal for Oceanside!

I Like Next Door wrote on Jul 25, 2008 9:56 PM:I think all that believe we can sell this site to an upscale restaurant are a Hoot or maybe Hooters. This would be a good upscale restaurant for downtown right next door to an Adult Bookstore. Nadine Scott is a genius; I remember the Hooters shirt Nadine wore to the Council Meeting when Sanchez made such a righteous issue about Hooters on Highway 78. It is hard to believe Sanchez voted against taking out the Playgirl Club, but she did. You have just got to love this town it is just nuts!

Remodel wrote on Jul 25, 2008 10:46 PM:We're using a local company that does remodels and tenant improvements to existing buildings and retail spaces. They are based in Oceanside, too. Maybe the museum should call them-Carter Construction. That would keep the money in our city rather than hiring a company from out of town.

UNREAL wrote on Jul 26, 2008 1:49 AM:they can come up with all that money for a surf museum, but can't figure out how to save the school's that are being closed, or teacher's job's that are being lost. Really now who will benifit more the tourist or the kids. The kids are already suffering due to over crowded school's and not enough teachers. What about the fact that our school system can't even afford to have school buses. I can't even belive that this would be considered.

to Bad deal wrote on Jul 26, 2008 5:33 AM:FYI $5,000x12x5+575,000=$875,000. I hope
that you're more careful with your own finances.

Inland wrote on Jul 26, 2008 7:16 AM:I think the new surf museum is a fantastic addition to Oceanside! There is a lot of people who travel to this area just to surf, it's a part of your heritage, love it, support it, and be proud of it.

Upscale strip club wrote on Jul 26, 2008 8:39 AM:A new club would bring far more than 40,000 visitors. And they would pay. Let's bring sexy back.

victoria wrote on Jul 26, 2008 8:46 AM:I had heard somewhere that the "Tom Cruise Top Gun" house was going to be relocated and turned into the new surf museum. What happened to that theory? And what are they gonna do with the sweet little blue house on the corner now? I sure hope it doesn't get torn down!!!!

Deal or No Deal wrote on Jul 26, 2008 9:23 AM:Maybe Bad Deal had it close. A $575,00 loan that is forgiven, and a potential ten year lease on a fully reurbished building. Add it up - lease is worth probably a minimum of $10,000 a month if you averaged rents over the future of the next 10 years! Lets start at $1,775,000 - Deal?

Steve wrote on Jul 26, 2008 10:39 AM:Diversity of opinion is to be celebrated, not condemned. The percentages of pros and cons doesn't necessarily reflect the population at large accurately, but we/others are free to comment as well. These are tough financial times all around, so many people are frustrated because they expect the government to solve their own financial problems. People want more in the way of government services, and yet want to keep their property taxes frozen and resist additional taxes. Self interest is to be expected.

The challenge for the California Surf Museum is to prove the City made a good decision. An excellent new facility, properly promoted in surfing and travel publications, will help to give a more complete picture of the community which supports it. I don't know how much PR campaigns cost, but I don't think you can get very much for $575,000 spread over the number of years of the CSM's lease.

People in this country have the right to be "wrong" and to express a "wrong" opinion. That is good, not bad, and the judgment of whether an opinion is "right" or "wrong" is made by each of us, individually.

Granny wrote on Jul 26, 2008 11:20 AM:Actually Nadine did speak out against the Marina Towers deal too. This constant wheeling and dealing by the City where they get far, far less than market rate has been pointed out by her and others for years and years. I love the Surf Museum but it does not bring enough revenue into the City to justify 'giving' it prime property. They are also planning on giving them the first floor of the next parking structure. We have got to stop these giveaways of our prime property downtown!
When will this stop? When McVey is fired! When Jack and Rocky are off the council! We need people on the council who understand real estate and business.

Hilarious wrote on Jul 26, 2008 11:22 AM:"May" give the Surf Museum $675K? Are you kidding? It's a done deal. Just like every other item that comes before the council. There is no honest debate or fact facting for 99% of the items. Bet Jack wishes he could swing a deal to get another sandwich shop for a dollar a year?

Get the facts straight wrote on Jul 26, 2008 11:25 AM:This is not a 'loan' as there will be no repayment. Antoher abuse of unbridled power by McVey at the taxpayers expense.

Grandaddy wrote on Jul 26, 2008 1:46 PM:Hey Granny, nice try at rewritting history. Sanchez and Wood voted for the Museum of Art $1 Million subsidy, they voted for the Star Theater $300,000 subsidy and they both voted to sell the Marina Towers (which Rocky voted against selling). Perhaps your memory is slippping a little. As for Nadine, she is still better looking than Sanchez.

Bean counting bloggers wrote on Jul 26, 2008 5:04 PM:I love it when you people whip out your calculators, and perform equations in a sterile environment. Now, I'm going to play devil's advocate. I'm a visitor from out of town. What does Oceanside have to offer that any of our neighbors to the south don't? Our pier? Gangs? Panhandlers? Our street walkers? Our very own O.P.D., that are known by many outsiders to be somewhat less than "tourist friendly"? Some say "Turn it into a restaurant and collect fair market rent!" Vacancy rates are currently climbing here, and a lot of our local restaurants are truly struggling and on the edge, as are many of our retail vendors. You're going to see alot more vacancies by years end. I'm a local business owner that has been here many years, and I love our community. But, the truth is there are better beaches and safer neighborhoods to the south of us, especially if you're a tourist. Anything that we can do to draw people that may not normally do anything other than drive on by on the I-5 is good for ALL of us. Some of you folks are so myopic, that if it weren't so sad it would be humorous. I think that the loudest of you whiners should consider joining our city's leaders and teach them a thing or two. Don't just call out their names and focus on what you consider their mistakes. Put your own name out there and make a positive difference. Our community needs you. Most of you are just plain full of.... criticism, and nothing more.

jvc wrote on Jul 26, 2008 9:25 PM:What? The mayor turned his back on
helping the SBT school and said the city did not have any money!

they should wrote on Jul 27, 2008 8:39 AM:reopen the play girl strip club, it would bring in more income

Johny On The Spot wrote on Jul 27, 2008 10:05 AM:Many of you do not remember the whole story about this place.
Over 30 years ago, the city decided that a hundred foot tall "Playgirl" being the first thing that you saw of the beach when driving down to the pier from the freeway had to go. The owner was willing to sell the place, but the city tried to rip him off and offered him a little more than half of the $500,000 he wanted. The owner owned the whole block, hence the strip club and porn shop that used to be there as well.
Rather than pay the guy fair market value for one of the most important blocks in the city at the time, they tried to force the owner out by using Eminent Domain.
This created a huge problem for the city because the owner on matter of principle now decided that the city was never going to get this property over his dead body. He told them that they would now pay dearly for his land, after they had tried to practically steal it from him.
The case spent dozens of years in court and cost the city millions.... many times what the owner wanted in the first place.
This is indicative of how the city seems to always take the low road on these issues and causes themselves huge expense and lots of grief.
Now after all these years, they have the property and what happens? It sits vacant a haunting testimony to the ineptness of the city gov't over the past 30 years.
Now again, the city is subsidizing a albeit worthy cause, but you would think that after 30 years, they would have planned a more practical and income producing purpose for this white elephant that they city has created.
Do some reading on the history of this piece of property and it will not only amuse you but will enlighten you to how our city fathers have wasted so many chances to enhance our good city over the years.

Heres Johnny II wrote on Jul 28, 2008 7:26 AM:Followed the deal, former owner Skip wanted to sell the property to the City with the understanding he would be allowed to open another strip club in Oceanside. The City would have to pay for the property, business and relocation. So of course the City tried to use eminent domain to acquire this blight on downtown. Skip did not own the existing Adult Bookstore next door.
The City bought this property from Skip in 2002 on a 4 to 1 vote, Sanchez of course dissenting. Now we have a chance to relocate the surf museum temporarily until the parking garage at Cleveland and Pierview is constructed. A great opportunity, probably can be done for less than $650,000 but my guess is the City wants a new front on the building. This is a good move and will increase its future value for an upscale restaurant.

Oside supporter wrote on Jul 28, 2008 4:55 PM:We need more surf museums and other places for people to spend time in our city at.Staying in hotels, eating in our restaurants and shopping in our stores all of this brings in revenue so we can have more city services, more parks, and a better quality of life for all of us.....how short sited some of our citizens are. They need to become better educated before they speak.

jvc wrote on Aug 7, 2008 4:33 PM:Let me get this straight....a museum
is more important than schooling children