My girlfriend works in real estate in San Francisco, and she gave me some very disturbing news. A number of banks and real estate firms in the city have been approached regarding the sale of a property in Menlo Park, a property that sounds a lot like Allied Arts. It’s described as a large parcel with a number of renovated buildings, off-street parking, and is located on a creek in an upscale residential neighborhood. There is reported to be strong interest from a number of developers, some residential home groups, and a sanitarium of some sort. Facts are scarce, the identity of the property is closely held, and no one seems to be talking.

If this is Allied Arts, and it sounds like it is, why hasn’t the Allied Arts Guild, specifically president Jean Coblentz, informed the Menlo Park community and the Guild’s neighbors of their plan to sell the property. We keep hearing promises of a better mix of tenants, a new image for the Guild, a new restaurant, but nothing is happening. We need some straight answers from the group that demanded variances from us for the use of their property so that they could host conferences and meetings. The property looks run down, there are few visitors, there are no meetings and conferences, and the merchants’ stores are essentially empty. Doesn’t look like the stated plan for the future is working. In fact, it looks like the property is being readied for sale.

It’s time the Allied Arts Auxiliary told us what’s really going on. Are you selling the property? Why? To whom? To be used for what?