Contrary to appearances last week, City Hall says it no longer will negotiate with the builders of 4043 Irving Pl., over a refund.
The city’s message to developers Sal Gonzales and George Mitsanas:
Take it or leave it.
The original amount offered, about $550,000, is our final offer. We will not agree to the enhanced amount (estimated at $800,000) you are seeking.
The builders’ response remains unknown.
Will 4043 Irving, a controversial four-story, mostly residential, condo structure, be built?
Just eight days ago, all apparently jubilant parties involved in the dispute over 4043 Irving smilingly danced off-stage at a City Council meeting.
After weeks of negotiations with protesting neighbors, the residents and builders streamed into Council Chambers, voices aflutter.
Happily, they announced they had made peace with each other over the contours and contents of the mixed-use building on the edge of Downtown.
The only remaining glitch was the builders’ attempt to collect a partial refund.
The first time the project shrank, at the behest of neighbors, the City Council agreed to hand back to Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Mitsanas about $550,000 of the $3.1 million they paid for a plum patch of city-owned land.
When the condo building was further downsized, though, Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Mitsanas upped their asking, or demand, price to $800,000.
Interestingly, none of this was discussed openly at last week’s City Council meeting. As far as any casual observer was concerned, the deal was done.
Except that it is not.
Two City Hall sources told the newspaper yesterday the final answer to the builders is “no” on the $800,000.
Both added, “The ball is in Sal’s court.”
Before Mr. Gonzales spoke with the city yesterday afternoon, he sounded upbeat.
Since the project has gone through several configurations and it is not the layout he had in mind when he bought the property from the city two years ago this month, he reasoned he was entitled to more money back than he originally had sought.
“I only want a fair refund,” he added. “I am not looking to make my entire living from this first project.”
With the city vowing to stand firm at about two-thirds of their asking price, Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Mitsanas, who had thought negotiations would resume after last week’s Council meeting, have a decision to make.
What is unclear this morning is whether City Hall’s rejection of their attempt to increase the refund will be a dealbreaker.
