As expected, the board of City Centre Development Corp. voted this morning to formally end negotiations with JMI Realty over the proposal to build a large convention hotel near Petco Park.
As Rob Davis has reported, JMI — the company owned by Padres owner John Moores — wanted to eliminate the threat of lawsuits stemming from former CCDC President Nancy Graham’s undisclosed ties with Lennar Corp., partial owner of the land where the Ballpark Village hotel would be built. If the project is revived, talks will have to start from scratch.
CCDC board members didn’t comment on the item. But later in the meeting, as the board looked ahead to the upcoming year, board member Jennifer LeSar said she was optimistic 2009 would be a smoother year operationally than the last year.
“I hope in some ways this is an easier year for us,” she said, “even though it will be a difficult financial year.”