The Richmond City Council voted Tuesday to reject a proposal to accept the donated leasehold interests of the historic Craneway Pavilion, a waterfront event venue at the former Ford Assembly Building, after a debate over the facility’s long-term financial obligations.
The council voted down the donation agreement with Orton Entertainment, LLC in two separate procedural votes, with council members citing an estimated $12.7 million in deferred maintenance costs and projected annual operating deficits of up to $2.5 million as reasons to decline what some described as a gift that would become a significant financial burden.
A 3-4 vote ultimately rejected the donation agreement. Four councilmembers, Soheila Bana, Jamelia Brown, Cesar Zepeda, and Vice Mayor Doria Robinson voted to reject it outright. Three others, Claudia Jimenez, Sue Wilson, and Mayor Eduardo Martinez, voted to accept it…