RDA staff to pitch $6.3 million spending spree to planning commission tonight

Loads of cash will subsidize Petrovich/Corkill/Cinema West, more tricks by city council

From the Woodland Record:

The City of Woodland Planning Commission will be entertained tonight by redevelopment agency (RDA) manager Cynthia Shallit who will present the newest schemes to flippantly allocate $6.3 million in RDA funds by May 3 – and spend that amount by July. Click here for the agenda. This masquerade has relevance to the suspended downtown multiplex RFP process in many forms. In addition to the direct subsidies for relocating the Hoblit dealership and site improvements for Third and Main ($1 million total), subsidies for the Petrovich/Corkill/Cinema West project will come as a $2 million subsidy for the Woodland Opera House children's theater - ignoring the voters advisory to spend Measure E money on this project - and as a $600,000 subsidy for the Farmers Market at Freeman Park that will include parking (a half block from the Cinema West project).

Yes, you remember correctly - Petrovich quit the RDA's selection process to choose a downtown multiplex by claiming he and Cinema West theater operator Dave Corkill can build it without city subsidies. You also remember that the RDA suspended that process while the sole remaining respondent (Ron Caceres) had budgeted only a $2 million LOAN for the State Theatre Renovation and Expansion project. Caceres had the option to buy the State Theatre until March 15. Now the city can't wait to GIVE AWAY $2.2 million (reduced from $2.5 million) for a rehabilitation of the State Theatre. And do you remember who promised to "save" the State for Caceres' supporters? That's right - Corkill. Effective March 16, Corkill obtained the option to buy the State Theatre.

It's funny how councilman Bill Marble's plan to locate the Woodland Opera House (WOH) children's theater program in the State Theatre was hatched only 20 days after Caceres' option to buy the building expired.

Read more at WoodlandRecord.com.