Facilities Management West Announces New Bid

FMW CONFIRMS THEIR NEW BID
In a letter dated October 1, 2010, Facilities Management West representative Guy Lemmon told Mayor Allan Mansoor and the City Council that his investment group submitted another bid for the purchase of the Orange County Fair and Event Center in response to the Request for Proposals (RFP) the State announced in August.

FMW HAD TO SUBMIT BID
In his letter Lemmon told Costa Mesa officials that they responded to the RFP because of the uncertainty surrounding their lease/purchase deal with The City. As readers will know, that deal is hung up in the legislature, which must pass enabling legislation to consummate the deal. At this time, chances of that happening are bleak.

STILL COMMITTED TO COSTA MESA
Lemmon mentions the hard work they've invested over the past nearly a year on the deal with The City and professed their commitment to the ownership principles being followed in that deal. We'll see...

MULTIPLE BIDDERS - NO OTHER INFORMATION
A call to the State Department of General Services turned up only the fact that The State has received multiple responses to the RFP by the deadline, yesterday, and that a bidder will be selected on October 14th. The number nor the names and details of those bids would not be divulged.

NO SURPRISE HERE...
I'm not surprised that Facilities Management West submitted a bid to the new RFP. With all the energy and resources already devoted to this project, it would have been irresponsible for them not to do so. In fact, as I read that RFP, it could actually turn out to be a MUCH better deal for them than the one with The City. They have said from the very beginning that their choice would be to OWN the Fairgrounds site - the new RFP provides that opportunity.

THE CLOCK CONTINUES TO TICK
So, in what seems like a never-ending drama, we must now wait another two week before knowing the fate of the Orange County Fair and Event Center. More news as it happens.