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the future of Alcatraz was somewhat uncertain before today's meeting, then it's completely unclear. Now. One thing is sure. Most members of the Board of Supervisors plan to take some more time to consider what to do with the island. Velvet Davis for eyewitness news. San Francisco. Okay,

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Yeah, Mhm. I would really prefer to stay on a more positive note in the last, uh, the given the opposition, which appears to be mounting you compared to stay here and fight for your deal. Well, I've

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been working on it for some four years, and the last year and a half I've been working on it with vigor, as, uh, the opportunity appeared to come for something to be done with the island. I would say that short of an indication and an indication

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from the Board of Supervisors that they want me to leave town or something that I'm not welcome at the airport that I'm most interested in developing the island. You see, a lot of misstatements have been made about the island. What misstatements? Well, there's been statements that

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there's gonna be a Coney Island. Uh, that there's some kind of, uh this is, uh, Mr Deschenes said the biggest steel since Manhattan. And that simply isn't the case. We're talking about $2,600,000 in order for the city to buy it. We're talking about getting it back

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on the tax rolls. We're talking about another $7 million investment that Mr Hunt is going to make under his proposal. Uh, we're talking about getting water over here. We're talking about getting electricity over here. We're talking about a solid waste, uh, installation being put out here

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instead of dumping the garbage and the sewage raw into the bay. All of these things will be something that the assessor will be able to take into account when he figures out his possessor interest taxes. And the article said that that we were talking about $40,000

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return to the city. Well, that's that's obviously not the case at all. We're talking about 2,600,000. We're talking about possessory interest taxes. We're talking about gross receipts tax, and then we're talking about a percentage of the gross. Mr. Hunt's here. But as far as I'm concerned,

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that's not a closed figure at all. There are people who say that money isn't the most important factor in this situation as far as you're concerned. Is this the best deal that has been made so far? You see, I think in this situation we have the

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best of both worlds, and I don't think money is the most important factor, either. But when you can have the best of open space, 70% of this island will be remaining as you see it now in its natural restored condition. And we're also going to be

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able to put property back on the tax rolls for a change instead of taking it off. Yeah, I can only say I didn't come to San Francisco the idea of trying to ram any idea down anybody's throat. I'm interested in developing Alcatraz because I think it

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has very exciting possibilities as an artistic and financial project. Margon Maxfield, Lamar Hunt's associate in the Alcatraz venture and the man responsible for a great deal of the planning, said the team anticipated adverse public reaction from the very start because people are always leery of new

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ideas. He added that with the right public relations job, the Hunt Alcatraz proposal will be the talk of San Francisco within two years. Ben Williams, reporting for eyewitness News from Alcatraz, recall that we were being rushed into a decision affecting the future of the entire bay

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because of the $1800 a month maintenance cost, which was involved. And I've been searching for a way since that vote took place two weeks ago to forestall a decision for at least six months in order that we could have public hearings on this matter and have

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a thorough study of all the plans and adopt criteria for development. I wish to report that several civic minded citizens have offered to the city and county of San Francisco to pick up the cost of the delay. That is, they are willing to pay the $1800

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a month for six months as a total of $10,800 at absolutely no obligation to the city and county of San Francisco. It has been suggested that this matter was steamrolled through this board. I think it's very unfair. There are members of the public who didn't pay

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any particular attention to this matter, But there were public hearings. It was in the public press and they just became aware of it rather late, but I don't think it's fair to accuse this board or the commission of having steamrolled are a matter through in some

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back room. Because that just didn't happen. No. Well, that there has been a misconception as to what? Yeah, I am not in any way suggesting I'm unwilling to support are no longer support the heart proposal because I still support to hunt proposal

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because I think it's the best proposal has been presented to us. I'm not sure of the significance of what happened today. That sounds like an evasive answer. And I'm just gonna really need to talk to someone who can explain to me exactly what did happen. Would

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it really interrupt your plans a lot if there was this delay of six months? I mean, what effect would it have? Well, I think any delay will certainly change. Any planet will change financing, uh, can change financing plans. Uh, it doesn't alter my desire or interest

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in, uh, developing the island for San Francisco in a manner that