Theater site being prepped for first shovels in the ground

Workers install fences around the border of the Krikorian Theater complex at Newport Road and Town Center Drive. Menifee 24/7 photos: Doug Spoon

By Doug Spoon, Editor

No one has identified a groundbreaking date for the Krikorian Theater project, but construction fences went up today and George Krikorian told Menifee 24/7 the company finally is close to moving dirt in Menifee Town Center.

"Yes, we expect to start grading shortly," Krikorian said in an email. "Not sure about groundbreaking [ceremonies]; that will have to be coordinated with the city folks."

An official groundbreaking ceremony would end a years-long waiting period for Menifee residents. The event they really are hoping for is the ribbon cutting for the city's first major entertainment complex.

Original plans for the Krikorian complex included the following:

-- A 122,000-square-foot theater with 12 screens, including the largest movie screen in the nation – 100 feet wide and 54 feet tall.

-- A 9,320-square-foot sports-themed restaurant/bar with a 60-foot by 45-foot TV screen showing sports and other major events.

-- A 22-lane bowling alley.

-- A 7,200-square-foot gaming area, including laser tag.

Since the project's first approval by the Menifee Planning Commission in June 2017, Krikorian has amended his plans with the purchase of additional retail space in Menifee Town Center. He also had to make adjustments when it was learned that the County courthouse planned adjacent to his property likely would not be built by the time the Krikorian complex opens. Krikorian's original plan was to enter into a shared parking agreement with the county.

Those delays, along with the many permits for grading, sewer and other utilities, has drawn out the planning process longer than most expected. City Manager Armando Villa told Menifee 24/7 in December that while it is true that the city permit and plan check process is time consuming, ultimately it is up to the developer to proceed at a pace that meets his financial and corporate timetables.

"The perception is that we are the one who builds things," Villa said. "The reality is, we issue permits, regulate and sometimes incentivize. It’s hard to convince people that you often have a hard time getting all your ducks in a row in a process like this."

In providing a quality entertainment venue for Menifee residents, the Krikorian complex also will keep more tax dollars in the city. The next major road project -- the Holland Road freeway overpass -- and the start-up of the Menifee Police Department will rely heavily on Measure DD funds, which obviously would increase with the presence of the Krikorian complex.

According to the City's mid-year financial report, the Measure DD fund was $1.4 million more than expected in the first half of the fiscal year. In addition, the City recently announced that third quarter sales tax revenue in 2018 increased 10.9 percent over 2017. Compared with surrounding cities' tax revenues, Menifee's increase was more than the Riverside County 6.3 percent overall increase and the 4.3 percent increase for all of Southern California, according to a city news release.