Sausalito Billionaire Wants a Warehouse

Vijay Mallya, the Sausalito billionaire who made headlines earlier this year when he spent $1.8 million purchasing Mahatma Gandhi’s pocket watch, glasses, sandals, bowl, and plate, is making the news once again, albeit this time on a more local level.

Mallya is hoping to convert an abandoned lot near Sausalito’s historic waterfront into a showroom warehouse that will store his collection of luxury cars and boats. He is facing some resistance though, as a few town locals fear that his proposed 6,600-square-foot space will block views and not bring any aesthetic value to the neighborhood.

Mallya has offered to incorporate a half-acre parcel owned by the city of Sausalito, which is adjacent to his own half-acre lot, into his project plans, making improvements that would enhance nearby Dunphy Park.

The Indian tycoon dubbed the “King of Good Times,” is the owner of the Marinscope Community Newspapers, Kingfisher Airlines, Kingfisher beer, and Formula One racing team Force India. He is hoping to construct the museum warehouse to show his private collection by appointment only, to educate school groups, and for charitable events benefiting nonprofits like Make-A-Wish Foundation and the American Heritage Museum. The Forbes billionaire currently owns an 11,000-square-foot Sausalito home, as well as more than two dozen other luxury abodes including a Scottish castle and a condominium in Trump Plaza.

Via Marin Independent Journal