San Diego developer drops lawsuit against City of Mason City over terminated hotel development agreement

MASON CITY — After almost four years, a San Diego-based developer with Mason City ties has dropped its lawsuit against the City of Mason City over a proposed downtown hotel.

G8 Development and its head Phillip Chodur filed a lawsuit against the city in November 2018, claiming a breach of contract after the city terminated its development agreement as part of the River City Renaissance Project.

The City Council in October 2018 unanimously approved the termination after G8 failed to provide full proof of financing for the hotel, one of the requirements mandated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority as part of the project being financed by their Iowa Reinvestment Act. Chodur had provided the first and last pages of what he termed as a financing agreement earlier in that year, but failed as required to provide the full documentation.

A jury trial had been set for October 12th in Cerro Gordo County District Court, but court records show that G8 attorney Stephen Doohen recently filed a dismissal of the lawsuit without prejudice, meaning another lawsuit could be filed in the future. The City the next day filed to dismiss their counterclaim against G8 in the matter.