Joe Montana came off the injured list for a prime time performance in Santa Clara Tuesday. And he walked away with a win.
The former 49ers' great presented a proposal to lease two plots of city-owned land to build a luxury hotel near the site of a proposed stadium for his former football team.
The proposal calls for a luxury hotel to be built along side a sports bar and an upscale restaurant spread across seven acres of land.
The City Council voted 5-1 in favor of Montana's plan to enter into exclusive negotiations with Montana's group. That was despite City Manager Jennifer Sparacino's recommendation that the city instead opt for a competitive bidding process to also give other developers a chance.
Councilman Kevin Moore defended the vote by saying the land has been vacant for far too long.
"The property has been on the market for over a decade," he said. "Nothing was happening. This is an attraction that fits in what we're going to do here."
Montana was suppose to pitch the project last month but a minor accident forced him to cancel the appearance.
Last week, the team celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new parking structure in Santa Clara expected to house cars during games.
