Diane Peters Tells The Truth About Vestar

On Wed Aug 1, we posted Vestar's David Malin's guest Editorial to The Explorer. We titled the posting, "More Hyperbole From Vestar's David Malin".

We are pleased that Diane Peters is using our LOVE blog to respond. Hopefully, Diane will expose Malin once and for all for what he comes across as: "A Present Day Snake Oil Salesman." We're grateful that citizens like Diane see right through the charade Malin continues to pull off on the citizens of Oro Valley.

Diane's response follows:

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"David Malin’s recent Guest Opinion, (“OV marketplace overcomes its challenges” Explorer, August 1) appeared to be written in response to Oro Valley First’s (OV1st) attempt to persuade Vestar to give Oro Valley citizens an updated presentation on Oro Valley Marketplace. He ended the article with the words, “Thank you for the chance to provide an update.”

What update? An update means “to present new information.” Malin spent the majority of the article discussing the movie theaters. We already know all about the theaters. He spent the remainder of the article simply regurgitating old slogans and half-truths from Vestar’s flyers.

For example, Malin would have you believe that “restoring an 80-acre riparian area adjacent to the site” and “leaving a very large area of natural open space” are things that Vestar is doing out of the goodness of their heart. The “whole truth” is that Vestar is REQUIRED to restore approximately 67 acres of riparian land adjacent to the site and they are also REQUIRED to leave the large area of open space in the center of the development again due to the existence of a riparian area.

Vestar has consistently asserted that better department stores will not locate here because we do not have the rooftops to support them. Yet in his article, Malin stated that Vestar was able to recruit a 12-screen movie theater even though “the immediate market is smaller than would typically attract a first-class theater.” He asserted that Vestar’s “creative development plan” made it all possible.

If Vestar’s “creative development plan” could entice a 12-screen movie theater to locate here, then OV1st suggests that Vestar use this same “creativity” to replace the Wal-Mart anchor with an upscale department store.

Diane Peters

Where In The World Is Jeff Weir?????

Where has Oro Valley's former Economic Development Administrator, the person responsible for bringing us the "upscale" Oro Valley Marketplace, Vestar and Wal-Mart gone?

Why, he's turned up in Salinas, California. He's their new Economic Development Director. What will the "one trick pony" do there? Maybe bring them a deal that includes Vestar and some Economic Development Incentives and, heck, maybe a Wal-Mart. Maybe Vestar is already lurking there? You think? Duh.....

Weir is quoted in an article on knowledgplex.org as saying he took the job because he "decided to come to this area because it is beautiful." Well, he took the job because the town was foolish enough to pay a salary of $145,000. Pretty good money for an agricultural community. And, of course, he needed a job after the same job was eliminated in Kingman. Well, it won't be a beautiful when Jeff is done with it nor will it be profitable. Just look at our Oro Valley Marketplace? "Paradise Lost"

Here's an idea: Salinas just go direct to Vestar. Give them the $145,000 as an economic incentive and save the trouble. You're going to wind up there anyway.

Read about Weir's job by clicking here.