OP-ED: The Rives Mansion is on borrowed time

Photo by Alex Dominguez.

DOWNEY - It’s time to admit what everyone already knows, even if they don’t want to accept it.

The Rives Mansion could very well be beyond “saving.”

As a lifelong resident of Downey, I know and understand the significance that the mansion serves to our community, both historically and symbolically; much more than just a “gem,” it is part of the very soul of the city.

But let me put this into a bit of perspective for you.

An article written by former Downey Patriot Staff Writer Christian Brown describes the mansion as “in need of some repair… with cracks, chinks and chasms visible on the exterior.”

That article was written nearly 10 years ago, and things haven’t gotten any better.

Let’s start with the obvious: the mansion is an absolute eyesore at this point, and every day gone by without some sort of intervention should be considered another day for the property to decay.

There was a fleeting wisp of hope last year, when current owners Arturo Concha and Erika De La Teja proposed restoring and converting the mansion into office spaces.

There was only one problem: the restoration came with a catch 22 in the form of a retail café to be built in front of the mansion, which the frustrated owners insisted was necessary in order to make back their investment.

It wasn’t necessarily easy, but 100 conditions later, Concha and De La Teja were able to woo both the Planning Commission and the City Council into approving the plans; through some gritted teeth, of course, but approved, nonetheless.

It was Councilwoman – now Mayor Pro Tem – Claudia Frometa who summed it up best: it was either approve what they had in front of them then, as discouraging as it was, or wait and watch the mansion fall into even more disrepair before inevitably being destroyed.

And now, wouldn’t you know it, the mansion is up for sale, again.

What seems to be the popular opinion among many residents is that the city should buy the property and “give it to the people” as a museum / event hall.

As great as I think that would be, it’s a solution easier – and truthfully, much more expensively – said than done.

The current asking price for the mansion is $2.9 million, which – let’s be honest - would be a helluva feat all on its own.

And according to Frometa during a recent conversation I had with her, it’s a purchase that the city is not in a position to make.

“We love that place; we absolutely do. It brings a lot of emotion on all of us. Certainly, we’d like to see it restored and brought to life, and for it to continue to be this light and this gem in our city,” said Frometa. “Unfortunately, again with my position now in the council as an elected official, I can see firsthand that the cost to purchase that property, and to restore and preserve it, to house it and maintain it, really goes beyond what is reasonable for a city. We’re looking at $4-5 million.”

“If we take a look at closely what is needed to bring [the mansion] up to code, going, abiding by the preservationists’ checklist, it’s really cost prohibitive.”

Frometa went on to add that it wouldn’t make sense – nor be responsible – to spend so many taxpayer dollars on the mansion, when other city issues (such as infrastructure) exist and need attending to.

 And before you ask, procuring other, separate funding really isn’t realistic either.

“I know that some residents say, ‘Surely, there’s funds. Surely there’s historical, state, and federal funds,’” said Frometa. “True. However, some of these funds go from $500, to $5,000, maybe $10-20,000, some that could be as robust as a couple hundred thousand; those wouldn’t make a dent.”

And even if the city were able to pool some sort of miracle money together to make the purchase, buying the property still wouldn’t be enough. The mansion would still need to be restored and repaired. God only knows how many more taxpayer dollars that would require.

Plain and simple, whoever buys the mansion would be taking a gamble on a hefty investment.

The Downey Historical Society is often thrown around in discussion as a potential fit for the mansion.

It makes sense; there have been comparisons made between the Rives Mansion and the Casa de Parley Johnson House that stands on Florence Avenue, which is utilized by the Assistance League of Downey.

Except, it’s not a fair comparison; the Gypsy Johnson House was gifted to the Assistance League, not purchased by it.

If there’s someone out there with a big enough bank account to purchase, restore, and then just donate the Rives Mansion out of the goodness of their hearts, then I’m curious what else you could be doing for the city as well.

Again, it comes down to money, and if you know anything about the Historical Society, then you know they’re even less able to buy the property than the city is.

Saying that isn’t a jab, by the way, at the historical society; they do a lot of wonderful work towards the preservation of our city’s history. 

Unfortunately, it’s simply a reality that even the Historical Society has come to accept.

“That would be grand,” said President Bob Thompson. “It’s just a fact of money, and what kind of arrangements for taxes, water bills, and stuff like that.”

There have been some thoughts scattered amongst our readers that if the desire was strong enough with residents, the City could approach the mansion like it did Measure S; invoke a tax with the sole purpose of raising money to buy the historical site. A “Measure RM,” if you will excuse the lack of creativity.

It’s not a bad idea, but it’s not a great one either.

“The council can vote to bring it on the ballot, and ultimately it would be up to the citizens of Downey to vote on it and decide whether that is something they want to do,” said Frometa. “Also, keeping in mind that putting something like that on the ballot also costs the city money, and so we would have to look at some kind of a study or really look at, ‘is this something that collectively at least 55% of the population [would pass].’”

That takes time; meanwhile, the mansion is currently on the market, and if you believe the attached realtor, the mansion could have a new owner anywhere from four to six months from now.

Who knows what happens after then?

Would it be impossible to “save” the Rives Mansion and return it to its former glory? No. Is it improbable? I’d say that’s a safer assumption.

I - like many of you, I’m sure -  wish to see the mansion in our city for years and generations to come, yet I’m pragmatic enough to know that if it continues on the path that it has been, then we’d be lucky to see it last 10 years, if that.

We are officially on the clock; every day, hour, minute, and second that goes by brings us that much closer to the mansion’s doomsday.

Do I want to see the mansion saved? Absolutely! But the window of opportunity is closing, and it’s doing so rapidly.

If you asked me now, I’d say the future of the Rives Mansion looks bleak. 

I’ll continue to pray for the best, though I can’t help but anticipate the worst.