Commercial Business Offices Proposed for Copia

There could be new life in the now-vacant Copia.

Officially called  the "Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and Arts," the once-promising venue, next to the Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa,  has been shuttered for the past five years.

A public hearing is set at 7 p.m., May 16, in the Napa City Council chambers to discuss plans to build business offices on the second floor of Copia.

East-Coast-based ACA Financial Guaranty Corp. has proposed converting a portion of the upper level to three offices, which would house two financial investments firms and a real estate business, according to Napa City Planning Manager Ken MacNab.

ACA insured the initial bond that provided the funding for Copia in 2001.The center for the wine, food and arts shut its doors and filed bankruptcy in 2008.

However, not everyone is in favor of ACA’s proposal to build commercial office space.

The Coalition To Preserve Copia has filed an appeal with the city to stop the project from going forward, citing the center is not zoned for such type of commercial business, MacNab said.

The upcoming public hearing will be to address the coalition’s appeal.

“That is the only item on the agenda the commission can take action on," MacNab said. "However, I believe there could be people at the public hearing who may want to discuss other issues concerning Copia.”

A letter submitted April 15 to the city by the coalition states its reasons for filing the appeal, saying Copia was built as a community asset.

“We believe that there is a strong community support for the repurposing of this cultural facility for uses beneficial to the community,” the letter states.

The letter also states: “The final Copia EIR (environmental impact report) ... to be a cultural center for education and appreciation of the nation’s wine, culinary and creative resources,” adding, “The center will be a cultural and educational facility devoted to the important role wine, food and art play in this county.”

In response to the coalition’s letter, ACA representatives said they believe “the only relevant issue is whether the applications are consistent with applicable policies and zoning standards,” according to a March 27, letter submitted to the city planning commission.

“The application (to build the office spaces) are designed solely to facilitate re-tenanting existing buildings,” the letter added.

Napa Mayor Jill Techel said she would like to see the center active once again and opened to the community.

“After it first closed, ACA went after an idea similar to the CIA (Culinary Institute of Arts) but that never came to fruition,” Techel said. “Then we had the recession. Other ideas have been discussed, but nothing other than this (May 16 meeting) has happened.

“It would be wonderful to have the center be an energizing site, getting the right uses," Techel said. "That would definitely be a boon for the county.”

The vision for Copia took form in 1988 when Napa Valley wine legend Robert Mondavi, his wife Margrit Biever Mondavi and other leaders in the wine community got the notion to build a center in Napa County to educate and promote the achievements in winemaking, culinary and the arts in the county.

In 1993, Robert Mondavi bought the land for Copia for $1.2 million and also made the first gift to the foundation of $20 million.

However, Copia fell short of its backers' expectations of attracting 300,000 visitors a year. Shortly after closing its doors in 2008, Copia filed bankruptcy, claiming a debt of $80 million.

According to online published reports, the center has 13,000 square feet of gallery space, a 260-set theater, a rare books library, classrooms, a 74-seat demonstration kitchen forum, a restaurant named for culinary icon chef Julia Child, an outdoor seating terrace and 3-plus acres of vegetable gardens.

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