The controversial "La Finestra at the Hacienda" restaurant deal, following months of exclusive negotiations, abandoning of a town-council-directed RFP process, and an aborted closed session meeting following citizen and councilmember concern (see this article here), is dead.
According to the Town Manager, La Finestra has backed out of the deal. The lessee's attorney recommended his client not sign the lease agreement due to the shifting of liability by the town to the restaurant exceeding the restaurant's level of comfort. Further, upgrade cost estimates for the space (which included access and fire/safety concerns) came in at twice original expectations.
Overall, La Finestra determined the deal was no longer financially desirable or viable.
Through April, the town had incurred over $11,000 in legal fees related to leasing the space, plus an indeterminate number of staff hours. Legal fees for May, when the lease agreement itself was drafted and negotiated, have not yet been released by the town.