The Grant Doctors

Monday, March 17, 1997 Section: BUSINESS Page: IB3 By Gilbert Chan, Bee Staff Writer -- Long after he's gone from City Hall, Bill Farley's imprint on the economic fabric of Sacramento will continue to be seen for years to come. And his successor will face the unevitable task of living up to a legacy that included helping keep professional basketball in the capital, attracting one of the world's largest computer makers and its thousands of jobs to town and negotiating deals generating millions for the city coffers. Farley announced last week that he's stepping down from the position of city economic development director after five years in that job. "He's represented the city very well. He'll be hard to replace," said developer Jim Thomas, owner of the Sacramento Kings. He called Farley's coming departure "a loss to the city." "I hate to see Bill go," added Mayor Joe Serna Jr. "Bill is a nonbureaucrat. He has a good business sense and (knows) how to make the appropriate business deal." Farley said he will leave his post in mid-May to start his own private consulting practice, Farley & Associates. He will work with public agencies and private development companies and specialize in local government, military base reuse and sports facilities issues. "After five years in the position, I'm just looking for a change, a different kind of challenge. It's been an incredible experience," the Encina High School graduate said. Farley said it will be hard to top his involvement in more than $500 million in public-private real estate deals during his tenure. "These projects can consume 10- to 12-hour days for weeks at a time. They're very intense projects. You have to have a good strong team to be able to pull these things off," he said. As lead negotiator for the city on a variety of critical projects, Farley's list of accomplishments include: The city's $90 million refinancing of debt on Arco Arena and the Kings - an intense, 11th-hour deal that kept Sacramento's only major league franchise in town. A 12-year $50 million lease with Packard Bell NEC for 2 million square feet of light industrial space at the former Sacramento Army Depot. The complex long-shot deal came swiftly as Farley dealt with everyone from corporate executives to lawmakers to Army bureaucrats. The 1994 deal was the first successful Army base conversion in the United States. Today, Packard Bell employs about 5,000 workers. Developing an 8,000-square-foot open air public market on the waterfront of Old Sacramento with 12 vendors selling everything from fresh meat to bread. The $3 million sale of a full city block to Uncle Sam for development of a $150 million downtown federal courthouse project. An installment sale of 100 acres to a development company to build a 3.5 million square foot Granite Park office project. The deal will generate up to $17 million to build a neighboring 130-acre regional park. Acquisition of a 100-acre parcel worth $15 million at no cost to the city. The land is next to Arco Arena. "He's tough at times, but very bright and very good," said Tom Carroll, chief executive officer of the Downtown Partnership. Others describe Farley as an analytical, thorough, hard working team player who can stay calm and deal with all sorts of personalities - traits necessary for a good deal maker. A person who deplored red tape, Farley had a knack of cutting through the layers of bureaucracy and getting to the core of an issue, they said. "His analytical mind never ceases to amaze me. He truly can see all of the sides of the problems very quickly," said Sam Burns, city director of Community and Visitor Services and chief executive of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. "He's a very, very tough negotiator. He was upfront with everything. He didn't tell you one thing and do something else," Burns said. All content © The Sacramento Bee and may not be republished without permission.

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