The newly elected Los Altos City Council met with developer Roxy Rapp for the first time Tuesday night to discuss the possibility of building a boutique hotel on the city-owned property at the corner of First and Main streets.
The former council had placed the project on hold indefinitely last May and severed ties with Rapp after neither party could agree on lease arrangements.
The city allegedly wanted a larger share of rent and profit-sharing options than Rapp was willing to pay. An invitation to other developers after the Rapp deal fell through failed to attract a single offer.
Reopening talks with Rapp was among the first items on the new council’s agenda. The council organized a new negotiating team last January to pick up talks where the city had left off last year. Mayor John Moss said the intent of Tuesday’s meeting was to familiarize the new council with Rapp’s proposed project to build a three-story boutique hotel with retail space and additional parking at the 0.78-acre site.
Rapp had offered $3 million to purchase the site, which the city acquired nine years ago in order to bring more parking and a better appearance to the downtown gateway.
“At this point I don’t think the council is considering any alternatives other than finding a way to come to an acceptable agreement and get the process moving again,”
Moss said prior to the meeting. “If that proves impossible, then we’ll have to consider other options.”
Tuesday’s meeting was scheduled to occur after the Town Crier’s press deadline.
