Should the Hacienda Remain a Public Property?

Ben Barber has twice helped clean up the Hacienda Hotel. On Tuesday, he gave City Council members his suggestions for how to use the landmark, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

He said he thinks the building needs to be turned into a multi-use property.

It needs to be ”not just a restaurant” and “not just a hotel,” he said. ”It needs to be a restaurant and a hotel, or a restaurant and office buildings up top. Something like that."

Instead of just thinking of the building as a commercial enterprise, the city also needs to think about the property's historic value. Barber wants the city council to keep in mind that part of the Hacienda could be kept open as a museum. He wants part of it to be "open to the general public without having to pay anything.”

Residents and folks interested in the fate of the Hacienda Hotel also spoke to the council at the March 12 work session about what they would like to see in the future for the property.

No one suggested rushing to sell the building wholesale to take it off the city's hands.  

Folks offered up ideas centering on restoring and preserving the building. They floated ideas of hosting a restaurant in the property, holding historic tours there and using it for special events, weddings and conferences.

It seems like  some city council members are also in no rush to unload the property.

Councilman Bill Phillips seemed friendly to the idea of operating the building as a  “mixed-use facility” that houses tenants. He pointed out that the Hacienda project can be tied into other projects downtown. 

"We need to investigate potential funding, financing, and ownership options with the help of or city law firm and (the) Pasco Economic Development Council," Phillips said.

Deputy Mayor Rob Marlowe said he "would like to see the Hacienda as a welcome center."

“It ought to be the centerpiece for the entire city," he added.

He said he understands the idea of “having public ownership of a building and leasing it out is difficult. But I think we’ve looked at the idea of selling it off wholesale. And in the six years that I’ve been on council, it hasn’t worked out so well. Let’s keep control of it. “

The Hacienda opened for business as a hotel in 1927. The building eventually was used as an assisted living facility. The city CRA bought the Hacienda in the early years of last decade, and the building has been vacant since 2006.

The city council voted recently to end its relationship with Community Development Partners, a development firm. The city had been negotiating with the firm for years on the proposal to redevelop the Hacienda.

The city has been working to get the community involved in the future of the Hacienda Hotel. It sent out a survey last week asking residents for their opinions on what the property should be used for. It is also seeking to raise funds online for the hotel’s restoration.