Council Withdraws Order to Remove Stucco From Building

The City Council has reversed a decision it made two weeks ago to require developer Danny Bakewell to remove stucco from the outside of a soon-to-be opened shopping center because the coating did not meet the approved design.

The change of heart Monday over the appearance of the Fair Oaks Renaissance Plaza came after heavy lobbying by Bakewell and residents of the northwest neighborhood surrounding the center, on Fair Oaks Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard, which was built with a $15-million city subsidy.

Council members William Crowfoot and Ann-Marie Villicana said they visited the center over the weekend and considered the stucco an improvement over the concrete block in the original plan.

The pair were previously among a 5-2 majority who voted to have Bakewell remove the stucco. The center, originally scheduled to open on Wednesday, is now set to open July 1.