Copia Owner Chooses Local Developer

Bankrupt and vacant since 2008, Copia will rise again, according to the insurance company that owns the former American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts.

ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation has selected Keith Rogal's firm Rogal + Associates as the "planning, design and property-development team" that will revitalize the shuttered landmark, according to an announcement released Thursday.

“We are extremely excited to be working with Rogal + Associates on a reuse plan for Copia,” said Raymond J. Brooks, Jr., ACA’s chief executive officer, in the press release.

“R+A brings a wealth of experience in the Napa market, with Keith Rogal’s being considered one of the most successful and creative mixed-use projects of the past decade," Brooks's statement continued

"Copia is a storied property with an ideal location in the heart of a world-renowned wine region. We understand the importance of the property’s renewal in the City of Napa’s plans for Napa’s future and prosperity. We are confident that R + A is the right partner for such a mutually sensitive and complex effort,” Brooks said.

In addition to the Carneros Inn, a former storage site for recreational vehicles now acclaimed for its luxury lodgings and restaurants, Rogal is a leading member of Napa Redevelopment Partners, which owns the 152-acre site south of the city.

Rogal is also a founder of , formed to study the possibility of bringing high-speed rail to Napa County.

According to the press release, ACA and Rogal + Associates are "committed to close collaboration with the Napa City Council, Planning Commission, and staff, together with Napa residents and business leadership, to ensure the Copia property’s renewal plans are consistent with their vision for the City’s future."