Simi Valley Prepares Itself for Reagan-Related Business By SHELLY GARCIA Senior Reporter Within two hours of the news that Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, had died, Holiday Inn Express in Simi Valley had sold out its rooms for the week. “We normally run 75 percent to 80 percent occupancy, but we have definitely seen a remarkable interest in the library,” said Kit Gamble, general manager of the hotel. Most of the additional visitors may have come for the viewing and the sunset funeral for the former president, but the thousands who came to Simi Valley to pay tribute to the president in death, may be just a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers expected to be drawn to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum to celebrate Reagan’s life. In just the first two days of last week, even after the close of the memorial services, the Reagan Library, which typically gets about 200,000 visitors a year, received 8,700 visitors. And while it is too soon to know with certainty, most agree that the small Ventura County city will likely see an unprecedented increase in tourism well into the future. “It’s a great opportunity for the city of Simi Valley,” said Marshall Shrago, operations officer at the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. “And it’s not going to be short term. It’s a tremendous long term opportunity for people to visit the city.” Already the chamber has begun fielding questions about lodging, rental cars and restaurants. So have the local hotels. “Grand Vista Hotel is noticing an increased number of telephone inquiries and reservations as a direct result of last week’s event,” said Verica Weikal, an assistant manager at the hotel. “I’m from Europe, and no one back home knew where Simi Valley is. Now my friends say, ‘Oh, I know where Simi Valley is.’ It’s an unfortunate incident, but a fortunate outcome.” In this city, to date best known as the place of the trial of the police who beat Rodney King that set off the Los Angeles riots of 1992, many residents have long felt a kinship with the Reagans. Before his illness forced him into seclusion, Ronald Reagan with his wife Nancy made numerous trips to the area. They dined in local restaurants and were honored at many an event in the area’s hotels. Period of mourning “Some of the staff members had the opportunity to meet him personally,” said Miller Vargas, general manager of Posada Royale Hotel & Suites, an independent hotel in Simi Valley. “We did events at the library when they first opened. We always enjoyed a close relationship with the Reagan Foundation. You have to pay your respects and then you can think about business.” It wasn’t until last week that the senior staff of Posada Royale met to discuss the business opportunities that might open to the hotel in the wake of Reagan’s death. “It’s a plan we put in place to get our fair share of the increased tourism,” said Vargas, declining to discuss specifics for competitive reasons. “Hopefully, it will work out fine for us and the community.” It is not just Reagan’s passing that is fueling enthusiasm for Simi Valley’s future. Locals have long known that the museum, with exhibits as diverse as World War II and Lewis & Clark, has had much to offer. It includes a replica of the Oval Office and interactive exhibits about the presidency. “You can go up there every three months and have a whole new learning experience,” said Mike Sedell, Simi Valley’s city manager. But until now, even locals have not always taken advantage of the area’s attractions. Other sites The Strathearn Historical Park & Museum, a six-acre complex with its replicas of a Chumash village and artifacts, homes and barns of those who later settled in the area, receives only about 6,000 visitors a year. Last year, the museum drew 45 school tours. “It would be wonderful if we did get more visitors to the park,” said Caryl Barefoot, the president of the Simi Valley Historical Society. “We have people who live here for years and don’t know about it.” Not only has more attention focused on the library, the library itself is set to expand. Many of the presidential documents that were formerly sealed will open to the public and next year the Air Force One Pavilion will open. The pavilion will house a full scale replica that can be toured, including all of the rooms exactly as they are in the presidential plane, along with the other air and ground travel vehicles that are part of the presidential transportation fleet. The new pavilion, along with the rekindled interest in the library, is expected to attract visitors from all over the country, if not the world. “With the completion of all the plans, that will hopefully keep the people at the library longer, so it will in a way force them to spend the night in town, which we don’t have right now,” said Vargas. Most of the library visitors to date have been day trippers from Santa Barbara or Los Angeles. Weekday guests at the hotels are mostly corporate clients and on weekends there are families in town for visits or soccer matches. But two new hotels are currently under construction in Simi Valley, and current events have made the operators enthusiastic about the prospects for added tourism.
