City Council discusses land aquisitions for Downtown arena

Tuesday evening, members of City Council discussed the Downtown arena plan.

Real estate manager for the city Jose Villalva provided an update on land acquisition to council members.

Villalva said title work has been completed on the 21 parcels that are expected to be purchased to make room for the arena.

Villalva said surveys have been completed on 12 of the parcels and 14 right of access agreements have been obtained. The agreements allow the city to survey and appraise the properties.

“We’ll get more rights of entry this week. We’re slowly but surely moving forward,” Villava said.

Villalva believes all the parcels will be acquired by August but adds the timeline is not set in stone.

Union Plaza resident Michael Patino spoke about eviction notices, which raised some eyebrows.

“Evicting innocent people, elderly people outside of your so-called (arena) footprint is unacceptable,” Patino said.

Villalva was quick to oppose Patino saying the city had not issued eviction notices. He even went a step further.

“The city has instructed all property owners within the master plan area and also in the footprint area to not send out any eviction notices,” Villalva said.

Villava added there could be a problem if property owners evict their tenants before contracts are set.

“If somebody is evicted or somebody is moved away before we can offer them relocation assistance, they will not be able to get that assistance,” Villalva said.

Patino provided ABC-7 with the eviction notice of a Union Plaza resident.

The notice reads, “Owners are requesting you vacate premises immediately if rent is not paid in full .. you have 30 days to vacate the premises.

There are also eviction fees included.

The eviction notice appears to be a failure to pay rent.

ABC-7 was not able to reach the property owners for comment.

In light of the arena proposal, the city has also opened an Office of Real Estate in the Union Plaza neighborhood.

“The residents in the area who may have transportation issues or may have mobility issues or it just might be easier for them to go on their way home or on their way to work — whatever the case may be we want to be available to them,” Villava said.

Villava says the office wants to be able to answer residents concerns at their convenience.

District 3 Rep. Emma Acosta said she wanted to make it clear that if eminent domain has to be used the information must go before the council.

Mayor Oscar Leeser said in Tuesday’s meeting, “I don’t believe in eminent domain. We will do our best to give the best offer to the citizens.”