Tuesday, April 13, 2010

And the Winner is...........

Rick Gonzalez of REG Architects
with his Dad, Ricardo, on left

After the vote, I asked Mr. Gonzalez for a quote: "How about a Scotch," he said.

It has been a long process and all the architectural firms were committed to our casino and designing something they thought that we wanted. Some had more enthusiasm than did others and in the end, a local firm that conveyed its excitement and feelings about our casino was the one that won out. Choosing a local firm is a plus and he will help us with finding financing going forward.

Living Designs ended up in the 2nd spot when the Commission broke the tie for second place, getting 7 votes to 8 for Beilinson.

Hoping that politics would not enter into this vote, I was naively mistaken. Politics was very much involved in the process and was prevalent in the count. Some commissioners still, to this day and after years of discussion, believe that our history is not important and wanted a modern look. They have lost the pulse of this community. Commissioner Cara Jennings, in her deliberation, was 100% on mark. It is not what she wants; it is what the people have said that they want. With the lowest score being the best, here is how it went--

Song & Associates
Maxwell 2, Jennings 4, Golden 6, Mulvehill 6, Varela 4

Slattery & Associates
Maxwell 4, Jennings 5, Golden 5, Mulvehill 3, Varela 5

Living Designs
Maxwell 1, Jennings 6, Golden 1, Mulvehill 5, Varela 1

**REG**
Maxwell 3, Jennings 1, Golden 3, Mulvehill 4, Varela 2

BRPH
Maxwell 6, Jennings 2, Golden 4, Mulvehill 2, Varela 6

Beilinson-Gomez
Maxwell 5, Jennings 3, Golden 2, Mulvehill 1, Varela 3



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