In a special meeting Monday, the Community Development Commission voted 3-2 to solicit interest from developers who previously submitted proposals for the Hacienda Boulevard project, essentially stalling talks with the Charles Co. for the same development.
La Puente officials have been in negotiations with the Los Angeles-based company for about a year for what has been preliminarily projected as an 11.5-acre retail commercial center in the 1300 block of Hacienda Boulevard at Fairgrove Avenue.
The development would encompass several sites including the former La Puente Lanes bowling alley, which the city owns, and Triangle Square, which the city is trying to acquire.
But officials say recent changes have them rethinking the future.
"I do want to make sure we take a step back right now given the new situation we're in," said Councilwoman Nadia Mendoza, "and be very thorough in the direction of this initial plan."
Last week, the city settled a yearlong eminent domain lawsuit with landowner Victor Gudzunas for a sliver of Hacienda Boulevard city officials have said could make or break the project.
That, coupled with a faltering economy and questions as to whether the type of project Charles Co. is proposing is realistic prompted the discussions Monday, Mayor Louie Lujan said.
"It's more of taking a bird's eye view of where we are at," Lujan said. "We want to lay this project on the table and determine if we are going in the right direction."
City staff members have 45 days to solicit interest from developers who formerly submitted plans to the city for the project, Lujan said.
Officials said they want to know if developers are still interested; what, if any, subsidy would the city have to provide; what funding options are available for such a project; and what alternative project plans may be out there.
But Councilmen John Solis -- who along with Councilwoman Lola Storing, voted against the move -- said delaying the project any further would cost the city money.
"We bought the (former) La Puente Lanes land four years ago," Solis said, "and we haven't made a dime on it yet."
Solis said the project has been stalled long enough.
"Now, we're dragging it out again," he said. "If the city had sold that property (to a developer) from day one we could have made $1 million."
At Monday's meeting Sarah Magana-Withers, Charles Co. director of development, said the company was excited about bringing the La Puente project to fruition and wanted to stay in the running -- despite its exclusive negotiating agreement expiring two weeks ago.
She said the company has secured letters of interest from retailers that would encompass more than 100,000 square feet -- or half -- of the project's commercial space.
"With the economics times currently on our country, these deals are very complicated," Magana-Withers, said. "Unfortunately, I think with time, if this drags on and this opens up to other companies, I don't know if theses tenants will stay in the market."
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