Client:
The nonprofit organization with a contract to manage meeting facilities at Marconi State Park in California.
Background:
The nonprofit had a longstanding contract with the State of California to manage meeting facilities and historic structures on the grounds of Marconi State Park. The State of California was considering a shift in the status quo by exploring redevelopment of the meeting facilities and historic buildings under the care of the nonprofit. The park is the site of one of four wireless transmission facilities built by Guglielmo Marconi in the early 1900s. On a global scale, these facilities were the world’s first wireless network. Three of the four sites around the world had been restored, but the site in California was languishing, mostly due to decades of private ownership of the structures.
The process:
Residents in the area were opposed to large-scale redevelopment of the facilities. They were concerned about traffic and destruction of their quiet way-of-life. I worked with my client to develop a strategic business plan that met the goals of both the State of California and the communities surrounding the park. The key to success here was demonstrating that a strategic, smaller-scale redevelopment was more beneficial than an upscale conversion that would draw large numbers of tourists.
The results:
The nonprofit’s long-term contract was renewed, and plans are underway to renovate the historic structures and convert them to a museum. The proposed plan successfully bridged the redevelopment goals of the State of California and the community’s desire to not diminish their quality of life.
