Trader Vics San Francisco, stimulus funds, and lawsuits - General Tiki

I ikitnrev Tiki Socialite D.C. / Virginia Joined: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1325	I ikitnrev Posted posted on Wed, Mar 25, 2009 8:46 PM An interesting article in the San Francisco Gate newspaper, provides some tidbits above the closing of the Trader Vics on Golden Gate avenue. According to the article, Trader Vics continues to pay $216,000 a year to lease the space I love the picture accompanying the article .... it shows a mai-tai, with the caption "Would you like this or a stimulus project?" I thought a mai-tai WAS a stimulus project! http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=37497 The owners of what used to be the legendary Trader Vic's tiki lounge have asked a judge to temporarily stop crews from demolishing an empty city-owned building near Civic Center Plaza, saying the mess forced them to close their doors. The building at 525 Golden Gave Ave. is seismically unsafe. City leaders hope after razing it, they'll get federal stimulus money to help build an uber-green office for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Trader Vic's Management Corp. and the aptly named Mai Tai Investors LP, which leases the building at 555 Golden Gate Ave., are suing in San Francisco Superior Court, saying the demolition project forced them to close their restaurant in December 2007 in anticipation of work starting the next month. Tony Winnicker, an SFPUC spokesman, called the lawsuit "an attempted shakedown." "This is not about an impact on their building," Winnicker said. "This is about money." The Mai Tai guys, who in 2003 signed an $18,000-a-month lease that runs through 2013, say the city promised in October 2007 to compensate them and hasn't. City officials dispute that, saying the talks were about a roof-access fee and fell apart when the Mai Tai guys' demands were exorbitant. The lawsuit contends the demolition has invaded the "air space" over the shuttered restaurant with scaffolding and at one point a crane. It also contends the project involves digging underneath Trader Vic's and that it has shut down part of the street, prohibiting access to the restaurant. The city's attorneys reject that argument. "It's not realistic from an economic standpoint to say there is a construction project next door, so I have to shut down my business," Deputy City Attorney Don Margolis said. The Mai Tai guys are in court Thursday seeking a temporary halt to any demolition work that infringes on their property, which in practical terms means halting the whole project, said their attorney, Gerry Murphy. They face an uphill battle. The judge's tentative ruling issued late Wednesday denies their request. *

An interesting article in the San Francisco Gate newspaper, provides some tidbits above the closing of the Trader Vics on Golden Gate avenue. According to the article, Trader Vics continues to pay $216,000 a year to lease the space

I love the picture accompanying the article .... it shows a mai-tai, with the caption "Would you like this or a stimulus project?" I thought a mai-tai WAS a stimulus project!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=37497

The owners of what used to be the legendary Trader Vic's tiki lounge have asked a judge to temporarily stop crews from demolishing an empty city-owned building near Civic Center Plaza, saying the mess forced them to close their doors.

The building at 525 Golden Gave Ave. is seismically unsafe. City leaders hope after razing it, they'll get federal stimulus money to help build an uber-green office for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Trader Vic's Management Corp. and the aptly named Mai Tai Investors LP, which leases the building at 555 Golden Gate Ave., are suing in San Francisco Superior Court, saying the demolition project forced them to close their restaurant in December 2007 in anticipation of work starting the next month.

Tony Winnicker, an SFPUC spokesman, called the lawsuit "an attempted shakedown."

"This is not about an impact on their building," Winnicker said. "This is about money."

The Mai Tai guys, who in 2003 signed an $18,000-a-month lease that runs through 2013, say the city promised in October 2007 to compensate them and hasn't.

City officials dispute that, saying the talks were about a roof-access fee and fell apart when the Mai Tai guys' demands were exorbitant.

The lawsuit contends the demolition has invaded the "air space" over the shuttered restaurant with scaffolding and at one point a crane. It also contends the project involves digging underneath Trader Vic's and that it has shut down part of the street, prohibiting access to the restaurant.

The city's attorneys reject that argument.

"It's not realistic from an economic standpoint to say there is a construction project next door, so I have to shut down my business," Deputy City Attorney Don Margolis said.

The Mai Tai guys are in court Thursday seeking a temporary halt to any demolition work that infringes on their property, which in practical terms means halting the whole project, said their attorney, Gerry Murphy.

They face an uphill battle. The judge's tentative ruling issued late Wednesday denies their request. *

Post #442542 by ikitnrev on Wed, Mar 25, 2009 8:46 PM