Featured

Eight Years Later, Tagami Still Hasn’t Started Rotunda Project

Published

10 years ago

March 7, 2014

Phil Tagami’s company, Rotunda Partners II, has failed to deliver on its contract with the City of Oakland, never fulfilling the commitment it made eight years ago to develop commercial space adjacent to the Rotunda building.

< p>< p>The developer has never begun construction at the site, which was supposed to be a commercial development – to house restaurants and other businesses.

It also appears the developer may have violated his contract when he sold the property to another company, though the sale was forbidden in the contract without city permission.

The original Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) prohibited any transfer of “any particular interest, stock, or other form of ownership…either voluntary or by operation of law without the written consent” of the city.

However after purchasing the property from the city in 2004 for $298, Rotunda Partners II, which Phil Tagami is a principal partner in, sold the property in 2006 to San Pablo Commercial Center (SPCC) for $152,000.

A letter dated June 2006 from the city gave Tagami’s company permission to lease the property, though his company remained responsible for completing the project.

Rotunda Partners did not receive a letter from city staff until May 2013 permitting the sale to SPCC.

Fuad Sweiss

SPCC is owned by real estate developer Fuad Sweiss, a former civil engineer who worked for the City of Oakland for 18 years until 2006. He is now Deputy Director of Engineering, Department of Public Works, for the City of San Francisco.

SPCC and Tagami, who is responsible for the project according to the contract with the city, are in default because the commercial development has never been built.

Questions raised at the Feb. 11 Community and Economic Development (CED) committee meeting highlighted the city’s lack of transparency in its relations with Tagami and Rotunda Partners.

Tagami’s sale of property to Fuad Sweiss was “fraud,” said Oakland resident Gene Hazzard, who has been investigating the city’s contracts with Tagami for several years. Hazzard has posted the results of his research at his personal website: www.cleanoakland.com.

While questions were raised at the CED meeting about whether Tagami was current on payments on his $12 million loan from the city, no one at the city was willing to respond to questions from the Post about these payments.

Tagami’s company sent a letter to the Post saying that its payments on the loan are current.

Finally, as a result of a Public Records Act request, the Post has received copies of records of deposit when Tagami’s company made payments.

The payments were: $20,000 on Dec. 1, 2013; $6,666.67 on Dec. 23, 2013; $20,000 on Dec. 31, 2013; and $20,000 on Feb. 4, 2014.

Tagami failed to respond to questions from The Post regarding his payments on the loan. He later tweeted The Post saying our claims in recent stories were “misleading, false, and/or at best grossly inaccurate.”

The Post is hoping to meet with Tagami soon to clarify his position on these issues. The Post is also seeking to meet with City Administrator Fred Blackwell to find out the city’s position on Tagami’s loan payments and his contract to build on the Rotunda property.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.