Konocti Harbor facts for kids

Konocti Harbor was a fun resort and music place in Kelseyville, California. It was located at the bottom of Mount Konocti, right on the south shore of Clear Lake. Clear Lake is the biggest freshwater lake inside California! The resort had lots of cool things to do, like a spa, a miniature golf course, a place for boats (a marina), and two big swimming pools.

A Look Back at Konocti Harbor

Konocti Harbor was started in 1959 by Joseph Mazzola. He was the head of a union called United Association Local 38, which was for plumbers in Northern California. The idea was to create a low-cost vacation spot for union members and their families.

In 1982, a judge took control of the union's pension fund, which owned Konocti Harbor. This happened because there were concerns about how money was being managed at the resort. Later, in 2004, the U.S. Department of Labor also raised concerns. They said that a lot of money from the pension fund, about $36 million, had been used for the resort in ways it shouldn't have been. Joseph Mazzola passed away in 1989 in a car accident near the resort. However, his family still owns much of the land around Konocti Harbor.

Making Konocti Harbor a Music Hotspot

In 1990, Greg Bennett became the general manager of Konocti Harbor. He worked hard to update the resort. He also turned it into a popular place for concerts. Bennett made the main concert hall, called the Joe Mazzola Showroom, much bigger. It grew from 350 seats to 1000 seats! Performance Magazine even called it "the best small concert venue in the country." As more and more people came for concerts, Bennett also started outdoor shows. These were held in a former softball field that could hold 5000 people.

Why Did Konocti Harbor Close?

In 2007, the issues with the U.S. Department of Labor and the resort's owners were resolved. The Secretary of Labor, Elaine L. Chao, stated that workers' retirement money was at risk because of how the benefit plans were managed. This legal action helped put the benefit plans under new, independent management. It also returned at least $3.5 million to the pension plan.

The agreement meant that new, independent people would manage the pension funds. It also required some of the original trustees to get training on how to properly manage these funds. A company called WhiteStar Advisors LLC was also brought in to help oversee Konocti Harbor. They also looked at a possible sale of the property, but that sale didn't happen. After several attempts to sell the resort failed, Larry Mazzola tried to get permission to turn Konocti into a casino. However, local officials in Lake County said no to this idea.

In late 2009, WhiteStar Advisors announced that Konocti Harbor would close "temporarily but indefinitely." This closure was a big blow to the local economy. It especially hurt tourism, which was already struggling due to a worldwide economic slowdown.

Could Konocti Harbor Reopen?

On September 5, 2013, a local newspaper reported that a company called Resort Equities was working to buy Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa. The company had big plans to reopen the resort and make many improvements. These plans included:

• Adding a small bar and grill by the water.
• Making the clubhouse better with new entry areas.
• Creating new indoor and outdoor public spaces near the lake.
• Adding more parking spaces for concerts, closer to the amphitheater.
• Moving the boat repair and storage building away from the shoreline.
• Fixing up the amphitheater, adding new snack stands, and improving the landscaping.
• Updating all existing resort buildings to meet modern safety and energy rules.
• Improving the landscaping, fountains, entrance gates, driveways, sidewalks, and lighting.
• Even creating a small vineyard and wine tasting area where a parking lot used to be!

However, in May 2014, it was announced that the group trying to buy the resort could not get the money they needed.

Konocti Harbor Resort was finally sold on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, to a buyer who was not named at the time. Country Air Properties, a real estate company from Lakeport, helped the buyer. No other details were shared when the sale happened.