Post #303768 by Swanky on Thu, May 3, 2007 10:35 AM

On 2007-05-02 18:38, Swamp Tiki wrote:
Ohana:

Ironically, developers (large and small) live in a fantasy world far removed from our own. They genuinely believe that their ideas of urban development are bettering the world around them. They cannot understand that "old" can be a good thing. Developers see open lands or older properties as antiquated and lack-luster. We in the preservation field constantly push for the establishment of districts that are governed by zoning ordinances. This is the only way to keep these mis-guided souls in check. When protective measures are in place and part of public policy there isn't much they can do except buy off a politician...

...
What cranks my ass is (when protective measures aren't in place) that they don't ask for the opinions of the "little people." Instead they rock our world with their fat-cat design schemes and then expect us to except it and live with it. Developers don't care about whats right for our communites only whats right for them. @#!!*@##!!!!

Swamp

What? That's the sort of fringe talk that makes places close their doors early to avoid having to deal with this absurdity. If these developers are so off their rocker, we will see their new plans stay empty as no one buys the condos. Yeah right. They will make a killing!

These arguments are ridiculous. And many of the things that are done in the name of preservation are anti-business. Is the Mai Kai on the register of historic places? No. They would fight that tooth and nail.

No one seems to be looking at this situation rightly. You own the Beverly Hills Trader Vic's franchise. It cost you many millions to buy. Every month, you are losing many thousands of dollars because business is slow. The property is, luckily, very valuable. There is a board meeting and an offer is made and you decide that it is time to stop the losses by selling. Maybe the previous owner used the place to offset a lot of capital gains they had. Maybe the property has remained becuase it was used as a tax shelter and has always been waiting for a buy out to make it worth dumping for another loser investment. Check the records. Did it change owners every 5 years? The IRS won't let you keep a losing investment forever...

Stop harshing on Trader Vic's. It is the last chain out there and the only ones widely serving a real good tropical drink.

The attitude here is exactly why they closed the doors quietly.