A huge vacant lot in southeast Cloverdale, once slated to become a $200 million hotel complex, will suddenly become a wonder buyer: a company connected to Edge Esmeralda, the “pop-up village” that attracted visitors from around the world to Healdsburg in June.
Esmeralda Land Company, led by Devon Zuegel, one of Edge Esmeralda’s executives, entered into an acquisition agreement for the 267-acre site, which quietly remained on the real estate market for seven years.
Pending approval from Cloverdale city leaders and final approval from Esmeralda investors, Zuegel told The Press Democrat on Friday that he plans to convert the open area into a full-time community that includes an Array hotel.
The network’s philosophy will mirror that of the month-long event Zuegel helped lead in Healdsburg in June, where others participated in a variety of conferences and day trips, in harmony with nature and prioritizing fitness and wellness.
“I grew up going to Chautauqua in New York City and I wanted to bring that to the West Coast,” Zuegel said, referring to the Chautauqua Institution, a 750-acre network on Chautauqua Lake in New York City where about 7,500 people more go. every summer for nine weeks.
While hunting in Northern California, Zuegel said, “The location of Cloverdale is perfect. “
“We’re going to be a component of Cloverdale,” he said. We are separated. It will be a full-time network that will be fully incorporated into Cloverdale.
And if you believe in a gated community, Zuegel said, think again.
“It’s precisely the opposite,” he says. Esmeralda will be open to the public. Far from being a gated community, we plan to build a new, extensive network of publicly available trails on site. Historically, this land has been closed to the public. We plan to replace that.
Zuegel’s vision still needs to go through several stages before becoming a reality. His company, Esmeralda Land Company, will take between five and eight months to expand the final plans and ensure that the order becomes a reality. The city council will then have to review those plans, which will no doubt be subject to the scrutiny of at least some of Cloverdale’s 8,700 residents.
But the acquisition deal, the terms of which were disclosed, represents a significant step forward, Zuegel and city officials said. And Cloverdale executives have known of Zuegel’s interest in the assets for more than a year.
“This is a pretty amazing property,” said David Kelley, Cloverdale City Manager. “You can only see a little bit from [Highway] 101, but you cross the small hill and you see the Russian River. I think that would be wonderful points of view.
Once plans are finalized, Zuegel said Esmeralda Land Company is committed to holding meetings in the city’s corridor to give citizens an opportunity to be informed about the allocation and provide feedback. Public meeting dates will be set once allocation plans are finalized.
The site, located on Asti Road south of Santana Drive, was once owned by Laulima Development. In 2015, the company announced plans to expand it as an “Alexander Valley Resort” and equestrian center, gaining city approval for a hotel with up to 150 rooms, 40 hotel bungalows with kitchens, a spa and restaurant, 130 houses , the equestrian center, department stores and department stores. The company also asked the city to close Cloverdale Municipal Airport, saying its runway was too close to horses and potential guests.
In 2017, the entire assignment fell through and he returned to the real estate market.
At one point, the assets housed a Louisiana-Pacific lumber processing plant, and after that facility closed, a $24 million cleanup was needed to remove debris from wood and other materials, as well as environmental remediation to clean up soil and groundwater.
To put the length of the assets into perspective, 267 acres is equivalent to approximately 202 football fields, or just under a square mile. That’s a hair larger than the Graton Resort’s existing footprint.
Esmeralda Land Company investors come with “people with deep roots in the Bay Area who grew up in Europe or have a circle of relatives in Europe,” according to Zuegel.
“They’ve taken delight in another way of life that doesn’t exist in California and they need to bring that delight here,” he said.
As Zuegel finalizes the main points of the development, which will include a hotel complex and housing, he said the purpose is to create a multigenerational network that is walkable, bikeable and with plenty of open space.
Esmeralda Land Company has been reading the site and collaborating with city leaders for more than a year, said Kelley, Cloverdale’s city manager. “It took them a while” to get there, he said.
The company will continue to work with the city on the remaining “eligibility processes,” and will finalize the design of a portion of the project.
“They’re going to have to show what it looks like,” Kelley said. “The buildings, the road; They will want a subdivision plan.
Zuegel and his team wouldn’t possibly have to go through an expensive environmental study, as the site still has one from when Concord-based Diablo Commercial, formerly Tyris Corp. , won approval to build a complex on the site in 2008. Cloverdale is at the northern end of Sonoma County, about 90 miles north of San Francisco along Highway 101.
“As long as they come up with a coherent design plan, you deserve to be fine,” Kelley said. “We do not deny a commission based on design. ”
Members of the Cloverdale City Council, who have long wanted to see the development of the Alexander Valley Resort, are eagerly awaiting the potential new owners.
“This project, at its core, has a philosophy that will be perfectly compatible with Cloverdale’s vision of a sustainable community,” said Councilwoman Melanie Bagby. “Unlike previous developers, Esmeralda Land Company celebrates its location near SMART, Great Redwood Trail, Cloverdale Airport and River Park. They will constitute a spouse in the realization of long-term stages of said projects.
Amie Windsor is the community journalism team leader at The Press Democrat. She can be reached at amie. windsor@pressdemocrat. com or 707-521-5218.