Indian Billionaire Wheels And Deals For Car Collection Warehouse

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Sep 10th 2009 at 9:01PM

Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya loves his cars but members of the Sausalito community where he has a home may not feel the same way. Mallya, who owns India-based Kingfisher Airlines and Kingfisher beer and the Formula One team Force India has a home in the Bay Area community of Sausalito and wants approval to turn a vacant lot near the waterfront into a 6,600-square-foot warehouse to house and occasionally exhibit (by appointment) his collection of cars and boats. In return he has offered to expand nearby Dunphy Park.

The Marin Independent Journal reports that Mallya's plan got a cool reception when it was shown to the city's Planning Commission. No decision was made and a second public hearing will be held on September 23. At the meeting some residents said that the proposed design was not fit for a waterfront building and could block views. The city-owned lot Mallya wants to use to expand Dunphy Park has been vacant for decades. He would put in grass, benches, trees and other improvements and would also maintain the park area.

Mallya has an 11,000 square foot home in Sausalito in addition to a reported 25 other residences scattered around the world including a castle in Scotland, a condo at Trump Plaza and homes in five Indian cities.

Tags: sausalito, vijay mallya, VijayMallya