Hotel developer Doug Manchester said it's true - he's thinking about buying the San Diego Union-Tribune according to a published report.
Manchester spoke to our media partners voiceofsandiego.org concerning talk around town that he was investigating the purchase of San Diego's only daily newspaper, currently owned by Platinum Equity.
"We're looking at it," Manchester told the online website according to the article posted Monday afternoon. "It's a very complicated transaction if it were ever to come to fruition."
Manchester, referred to as "Papa Doug" by family, friends and employees, has a long history with the city of San Diego.
He developed Navy property downtown into the twin towers of the Manchester Grand Hyatt - a landmark on San Diego's waterfront.
Manchester graduated from San Diego State University, donated $5 million to the university and is the namesake of Manchester Hall.
But his political views made news when Manchester's support of Proposition 8 prompted members of the gay community to boycott his downtown hotel in 2009.
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Manchester gave $125,000 to the campaign that would ban same-sex unions in California saying he supported the measure because of his Catholic faith.
Earlier this year, Manchester sold the Hyatt for a reported $570 million.
In March 2009, longtime Union-Tribune owners The Copley Press Inc. announced they had signed a definitive agreement to sell the paper to private equity firm Platinum Equity.
In 2010, Platinum and editor Jeff Light announced dozens of layoffs as part of a restructuring for the 142-year old paper.
Read more on the proposed Union-Tribune deal here.
