George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
What a travesty
![]()
Cultivation Kitchen, in front of the Anaheim Packing District, has closed
Cultivation Kitchen was the brainchild of Dale LaFlam, a first-time restaurateur who worked for Quiksilver, then left the apparel industry to kick-start this passion project which opened in April.www.ocregister.com
The building is done, the signs are up. All that needs to be done is the interior and landscaping, and they are not rushing that.
Oh? In the words of Emily Litella... Never mind.
![]()
I was on the phone this morning with one of my real estate friends up in OC. All I had to do was text him Whats up with the Sports Center closing? and I got an immediate phone call and an earful. In his words, with a couple of expletives deleted, this news has landed in Anaheim "like a ton of bricks!". It's as devastating as we'd suspected, perhaps more.
He brought up the Radisson Blu before I could, and a couple other developments, because the American Sports Center and its established nearly two decade long ability to pull in a very lucrative market not dependent on the traditional theme park or convention calendar was a major part of the business plans submitted by developers for financing of the Radisson Blu and Cambria. I hadn't even thought of that financing element and the business plans the banks would have approved based on the Sports Center bringing in big business. They have a second facility similar to the Anaheim one out in suburban Phoenix, and the company is abandoning California and focusing on keeping afloat in Arizona instead.
My friend could not tell me who the new tenant will be, but he did say that in 2019 the warehousing vacancy rate in Anaheim was less than 2%, and it has gotten even tighter as Covid brought on a boom in online retailing and the need for warehouse space. Warehouse space is at a premium right now, and it's the only bright spot in OC commercial real estate as many Class A office parks empty out while more companies embrace working from home permanently. Anaheim is heavy on warehouse and light industrial space, which is good, because the once-enviable Irvine Spectrum and Newport Center areas with their swanky and expensive office towers are being decimated right now and probably will never come back.
In short... expect this to be a warehouse. And expect financing for any future development in the Resort District to be that much harder to find.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see pro sports die out completely after all of this is said and done. People are done with the drama they have and have come to realize that there are better things to go out and actively do then watch a bunch of people try a shove a ball up/down/through/etc. a cout/field/etc.
Considering the ratings at present for the ones that did start back up, I wouldn't be so sure.Yeah, not gonna happen. Like Disney moving to Texas.
Not from what I had been hearing, they were getting about 1/10 of what they expected.NFL is doing well ratings wise.
Why rely on what you're "hearing" when you can just look things up?Not from what I had been hearing, they were getting about 1/10 of what they expected.
I wonder if a couple of the councilmembers that have said that Anaheim does nto need Disneyland are now realizing how much they do. The whole area is in a mess without the main tourist destination they so much love to pick on. The same goes for those small motel owners that line Harbor that talk **** but are now suffering without the parks.
Sadly, this is very true and something needs to be done about it. Hopefully if Newsom looses the lawsuit against him, it will pave the way to hold him personally accountable for all damages caused by his illegal actions.If and when Disneyland reopens, I think there will be a very different attitude towards the "evil Disney corporation" from local politicians and small businesses alike.
The damage already done to Anaheim's tax revenues is catastrophic. The damage done to the livelihoods of many Anaheim businesses is ongoing. And if Disneyland were to reopen in say, March, 2021 you will immediately notice that many local businesses remain closed with their windows boarded up.
Even if Disneyland suddenly reopened tomorrow, the damage that has already been done will take several years to repair.
I wonder if a couple of the councilmembers that have said that Anaheim does nto need Disneyland are now realizing how much they do. The whole area is in a mess without the main tourist destination they so much love to pick on. The same goes for those small motel owners that line Harbor that talk **** but are now suffering without the parks.
Is Anaheim reliant on Disneyland and Tourism? Maybe a little too much. The risk in the entertainment/tourism industry has always been there, and it doesn't take much to upset the apple cart: wars, terrorists attacks, climate change, economic uncertainty... they can all have a devastating impact on the tourism industry. If Anaheim wants a clear path to stability in the future, the answer isn't to put all their apples into the "Theme Park" basket.
Ah... TP! Stop making so much sense!!!!!Since 1955, all four of your apple cart upsets have happened; wars, terrorist attacks, climate change, economic uncertainty.
And they've happened repeatedly. As they almost assuredly will so long as there are humans on the planet.
I would also add in two major energy crises that caused crippling gas shortages/rationing ('73-'74 and '79-'80), major social upheaval circa 1967-1971, and sweeping demographic change for Orange County in the 1990's. Quite frankly, those last three things had more economic impact on Disneyland than any of the big wars or terrorist attacks have since 1955.
But the American tourism industry and the Southern California tourist infrastructure not just survived all those problems from 1955 to 2020, those 65 years of massive change saw Disneyland continually and consistently grow and become more popular with consumers.
Disneyland Park Annual Attendance 1955 to 2019.
![]()
None of those things upset the apple cart like the socio-political response to the Covid virus. None of those things even came close to this. Disneyland has now been closed for 7 months, and is heading into it's 8th month of full closure, with no known end date or known strategy to reopen. It's increasingly likely that the Disneyland closure will last a full year or more, into the spring of 2021.
I'm not sure what you think the "devastating impact" was of the Vietnam War or the Gulf War or the Iraq War, or the energy crisis of '73, or the deep recessions of '58 or '81 or '08. But none of those things even comes close to this current situation. Like comparing an athlete with a sprained ankle to a dead man laid out in a morgue.
And I can also guarantee you that both TDA executives and Anaheim politicians would much rather operate the Anaheim Resort District in another recession or another energy crisis or another war in the Middle East than have Disneyland be closed for a year.
He won't "loose" the lawsuits when acting in the best interests of the people.Sadly, this is very true and something needs to be done about it. Hopefully if Newsom looses the lawsuit against him, it will pave the way to hold him personally accountable for all damages caused by his illegal actions.
Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.