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https://n2v.almanacnews.com/square/print/2006/10/11/auto-mall-for-menlo-sports-fields-in-its-future

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Auto mall for Menlo: Sports fields in its future?

Original post made by Elizabeth Lasensky, Menlo Park: Downtown, on Oct 11, 2006

Hooray! Menlo Park will be getting an auto mall at Willow and the Bayshore Expressway. GM will use 8.5 acres for its own dealers and 13.5 acres will be offered up for retail or other car dealers. This will be good for our city’s tax income stream, will improve a blighted area and will create jobs.

GM is looking for an evening/weekend anchor to encourage people to stop and shop for cars (or trucks). Granted, GM had something other than sports fields in mind, but I suggested to the GM representative that perhaps we could get a couple of sports fields on the property. Whether the fields would be on a roof or on donated ground, they would certainly draw crowds and night lighting won’t be a problem.

Whether the land is donated, lent or leased, there is potential for a great partnership.

Now that would be a win-win-win.

Comments

Posted by Roxanne Rorapaugh
a resident of Menlo Park: University Heights
on Oct 12, 2006 at 12:14 am

Fantastic idea!!

A true business/city partnership to solve the lack of soccer field space. The city should look into this instead of trying to spend $18 million or more for trying to build them on the old landfill, which would need constant upkeep if it even could be built (which seems unlikely since it was designed to be a hilly open space, landfills that do have soccer fields on them are designed that way from the beginning).

We could save Menlo Park's money, save Bayfront Park's beauty, help a local business, and get more soccer fields using a creative partnership. It's a win/win/win/win idea--

Creativity and common sense to the rescue-- I encourage our city council to work on Ms. Lasenky's idea.

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Posted by mpvoter
a resident of Menlo Park: The Willows
on Nov 8, 2006 at 12:15 pm

Just so you know, the GM rep thought you were crazy. Regardless, with the way the vote went last night there will be no GM deal anyway.

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