Executive of downtown project partner resigns

The chief executive officer of P3 Development, the company conducting a feasibility study for the Carson City Center Project, said on Wednes-day he is resigning from his position next week.

Rick Oshinski sent a letter to City Manager Larry Werner on Wednesday to notify the city about his resignation after making the decision about two weeks ago. The letter was then sent to the Citizens Advisory Committee.

Oshinski said he is going to rejoin the Carson City law firm Scarpello and Huss, Ltd., where Oshinski was a partner from 1990 to 2004 until joining P3 Development, based in Sacramento.

His resignation on Oct. 15 will come after his company was selected in April to develop a feasibility plan for the $87 million project that includes a library, office space and a parking structure behind the Carson Nugget. The city is being asked to finance about $31 million of the project while about

$56 million will come from private funds.

Oshinski said the timing of his resignation came when the project's feasibility study was nearing completion - it's expected to be presented before the Board of Supervisors next month. Because the project is still under review by the city, no developer has been chosen to build the project.

"It seems like a good jumping off point for me," Oshinski said. "This was the natural breaking point, it shouldn't interfere with the project at all. I'll be able to assist P3 and the city as they request."

Werner said the announcement came out of the blue on Wednesday.

"It's always somewhat disconcerting to see your major players change," he said. "I'm feeling comfortable that we'll end up with the same level of service. I don't think this is a big deal, but we have to pay attention to it."

Werner added, "I'd prefer it not to happen in the middle of one of our projects, but that's life."

He said he had not spoken to the president or owner of P3 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Steve Neighbors, the president of the Carson Nugget and trustee of the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation, said he had been informed about Oshinski's resignation and that one of the owners of P3 would take a more direct leadership role there. He said it won't impact the project.

"They've assured us that we won't see a beat missed, they're in the process now of getting more local contractor involvement and firming up all of the local bids," Neighbors said.

Meanwhile, the city and its attorneys are still studying the legal ramifications of some of the financing proposals such as the library lease-to-own proposal, a 1/8 cent sales tax to help fund it and the possibility of using tax increment financing.

Oshinski said he plans to move his family to Carson City by next summer from the Sacramento region.

"I don't see any issues with it, or problems or concerns," Oshinski said, adding, "If there is a build-out on this development, it's going to last at least three years and I didn't want to remain a California resident for that long."

Scott Dockery, the chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee, said the news was unexpected.

"It is kind of surprising this far along in the process," he said. "I'm sure he had his reasons for resigning and I hope it's not going to negatively impact P3's ability to really give this project a good look and determine whether or not it's going to be feasible... for them to take it on as a project."