By Nathan Baca, News Channel 3 Reporter
nbaca@kesq.com
DESERT CENTER - The sounds of motorcycles may replace the silence at land near the old Desert Center Airport, 50 miles east of the Coachella Valley. The Chuckwalla Valley Raceway is in the works.
Investor brochures describe a raceway club exclusive to 350 members. Those same brochures also say the developers "currently own all the land."
But documents obtained by News Channel 3 show developers failed to pay $103,000 in interest payments. The future of this raceway may be in jeopardy with the developers now asking the county to drop their interest rates.
Developer Matt Johnson says, "The project fell behind on some of its payments from the standpoint of the timing as you go through the county.
Johnson adds, "While we've not kept up with our payments on the project, we're now in the process of catching back up and getting this all secured."
The Desert Center Airport has been abandoned for years. Riverside County put this land up for sale on eBay for $2.7 million a few years ago. The raceway developers bought the land for around half that price.
Johnson is a business partner in the Wilson Johnson commercial real estate company. Scott Wilson is former Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson's son. The supervisor recused himself from voting on the project.
When asked how Scott Wilson was not connected to this project, Johnson replies, "Scott Wilson is not connected to this project just like he's not a part-owner in your house. The shirt I had on earlier said Wilson/Johnson on the front. Scott and I are business partners in commercial real estate which is a brokerage company."
Desert Center residents, those few of them left, heard a presentation from the raceway developers Thursday afternoon. Many believe this project will put their town on the map.
"I'm really anticipating them coming in. I think it will be an industry that will stay here," says Desert Center resident Mary Zeiler.
The first phase of racetrack construction was expected to be complete by now. But with construction delays and financial shortfalls, the Desert Center Airport may stay abandoned for some time to come. That leaves residents hoping this project is the "real deal."
