California State Parks seeks private operator for Blue Wing Inn in Sonoma

Blue Wing InnThe historic California landmark at Sonoma Plaza, which was one of the first hotels built north of San Francisco, is in need of a major overhaul and could be transformed into a facility that would generate significant revenue for state parks, according to state officials. system.

It’s a big job, and California State Parks officials have begun asking if a private operator would be willing to take it on.

The State of California purchased the building in 1968 with the intention of turning it into a museum.. Funding obstacles prevented State Parks from realizing this vision, and the building remained unused and in an increasingly dilapidated state of repair.

So on Oct. 24, the state park system began seeking public input on what community members would like to see in a potential contract that would put historic restoration efforts in the hands of business.

In exchange, the operator will be able to conduct business on the reconstructed site, for example, for a hotel, restaurants or shops, and return the rent to the state.

“The California State Parks concession agreement is a business contract,” said parks and recreation specialist Peter Ostrosky. “There are some legal obligations in that contract, but then it allows that business to be able to work with us and earn income.”

Blue Wing Inn, 131 E. Spain St., opposite Mission San Francisco Solanowas built around 1840 and opened in 1848 and began with the transfer of ownership between General Mariano Vallejo to his majordomo Antonio Ortega in the newly created Pueblo de Sonoma.

The building is located inside Sonoma State Historic Parka non-profit organization chartered in 1982 as a cooperative association of the California State Parks Association. The SSHP consists of six sites in Sonoma: Mission San Francisco Solano, Sonoma Barracks, Toscano Hotel and Kitchen, Servants’ Quarters, General Vallejo’s House, and the Blue Wing Inn.

During the Gold Rush era, the Blue Wing Inn housed miners and U.S. soldiers. In 1932, it received the status of a landmark hotel.

“A lot of businesses are looking for a building in state parks that will need some work, but not a lot,” Ostrosky said. “The Blue Wing Inn has there are a lot of parts to it and we are looking for plans for how someone could handle this to slowly start taking over more of the management of the building for us and paying for things that need to be done in the building. »

In addition to restoring the building, the concession agreement will also require the operator to provide some educational and historical opportunities for visitors to learn more about the property’s history.

State parks officials have yet to develop a formal process for attracting a potential concessionaire. However, they began soliciting input from Sonoma residents on how the process could unfold, starting with a community meeting in Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma, October 24.

Some community members shared ideas about what they would like to see in the Blue Wing. Recommendations included a tasting room, culinary school or art gallery.

Others were outraged by the idea of ​​restoring a private business and then operating parts of the hotel, and instead insisted that the long-stalled museum plan move forward.

The problem, state officials say, is the large potential cost of repairs and restoration. The park system declined to provide an estimate.

Although the concession agreement process has just begun, a priority for parks officials is working with community members on future plans for the Blue Wing Inn.

“We know that Sonoma residents are very passionate about their buildings and their city,” Ostrosky said. “There are a lot of ideas, but there are also a lot of voices that haven’t been heard, and that’s why we’d love to see more people come to public meetings.”

The next step in the process will be further meetings with members of the public and park officials, which have not yet been announced. Eventually, “State Parks will issue a request for proposals for a new concession contract through competitive bidding,” officials said in a news release.

Park officials’ commitment to working with the public on the future of the Blue Wing Inn appeared to reassure some participants at the Oct. 24 public meeting.

“I would like to see the least done to the building because it was the least renovated of the Gold Rush-era hotels,” said Carla Noyes, a former assistant professor at Mission San Francisco Solano And Toscano Hotel. “It has maintained its historical integrity.”

“I was encouraged that they seemed to care about the building as much as I did,” she added.

You can reach Staff Writer Isabel Beer at 707-933-2734 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @IsabelSongBeer