By LENORE RUTHERFORD

The Union Democrat

The future of one of Columbia State Historic Park's most diverse concessions is still uncertain, 18 months after changing operators.

For 31 years, the nonprofit Columbia City Hotel Corp. ran the concession, which includes City Hotel, City Hotel Restaurant and What Cheer Saloon, Fallon Hotel, Fallon Ice Cream Parlor and Fallon Theatre.

One of the corporation's missions was to be a training ground where Columbia College hospitality management students could get hands-on experience.

That relationship ended — with the exception of a bartending class at the What Cheer Saloon — when Forever Resorts took over the state park operations around April 2006.

The City Hotel Corp. was dissolved after struggling financially for several years, and the Columbia College culinary arts program was moved to the college campus.

Forever Resorts manages concessions in state and federal parks throughout the U.S. and manages historic sites in other countries.

The corporation operates several other concessions in California, including two marinas on Don Pedro reservoir.

Representatives of the City Hotel Corp. asked Forever Resorts to take over its contract in April 2006, and state park officials agreed. No money changed hands.

"We were asked to help run the facility to keep it open," said Darla Cook, Forever Resorts vice president of public relations. "So far, it's been a temporary agreement. Once we see a request for proposal for a long-term contract, we'll take a look at it and see if it's something we are able to take on."

California State Parks plans to put the concession out to bid in about six months, said spokeswoman Sheryl Watson, who added that contracts automatically become month-to-month agreements after they expire, giving the state time to come up with a new bid proposal.

"Every contract goes out to bid after it expires," she said. "It doesn't mean anything negative about Forever Resorts. They are welcome to be one of the bidders."

Forever Resorts was a sub-concessionaire for City Hotel Corp. until April 2007, when it became the primary contract holder on a month-to-month basis.

The contract requires Forever Resorts to pay California State Parks 2.5 percent of gross receipts or $2,000 a month, whichever is greater, with a maximum of $100,000 per year.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, Forever Resorts paid $16,229 in rent. It was a partial year payment, since the City Hotel Corp. was the official concessionaire for part of the year. The contract also requires the firm to conduct a marketing program and provide "maintenance and conservation of historic objects."

Meanwhile, the Columbia College culinary program is thriving on campus, said spokesman Doug Lau.

"We moved the contemporary cuisine dinners we used to hold at City Hotel to the college campus," he said. "We have the Cellar Restaurant during the daytime. It becomes the Cellar Bistro at night. We bring out fine linens and silverware, and the students plan and serve the meals."

He said four-course gourmet meals are served from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings during the fall and spring semesters as part of the culinary program. The cost ranges from $14.95 to $17.95, and reservations are strongly recommended. Call 588-5300.