Krikorian's permits have expired; is the project dead?

Unfinished buildings in the Krikorian project may be torn down because of expired permits. (File photo)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Building permits for the Krikorian entertainment and retail project have expired and George Krikorian has been informed he will receive no further extensions, a City of Menifee official said today.

“Mr. Krikorian was provided with a letter in May detailing required actions to be completed by specific deadlines to remain compliant with his permits,” said Philip Southard, the city’s public information officer. “He failed to meet those deadlines. As a result, a verbal request made earlier this week for an extension on the inspection, after the expiration date, was denied.”

Krikorian was informed via a letter on May 11 that “that time period has been extended for several years through a series of successive authorizations by the City’s building official. These extensions were provided as an accommodation to your project and based on prior representations of imminent progress. Unfortunately, those accommodations have not been fruitful and have reached a point where the permits will no longer be extended, and will therefore expire, unless the time horizons described in the table below are achieved.”

The letter gave Krikorian a deadline of June 1 to complete required inspections of the structures and “mobilize on site to begin construction work.” Those deadlines were not met.

Krikorian would have to start all over with new building applications if he were to continue with the project. Southard said “it is unknown at this time what will be required to be torn down without inspections and structural certifications.”

Demolition would not occur immediately. In a letter sent by the City to Krikorian today, he was given until Sept. 1 to submit new applications before the project would be killed. Southard said “we would defer to Mr. Krikorian” about whether he plans to start all over with the project.

Krikorian did not immediately respond to a request for comment today.

Krikorian also faces fines for code violations. According to the City’s May 11 letter, “staff is additionally aware that the property no longer has access to the required water resources necessary to ensure project fire safety.” That issue is now being addressed, Southard said, but other violations remain.

“The City has been very accommodating to help move his project forward, but we are also mindful of the community’s frustration with the lack of progress with this private property (not a city project or development) and our City Council has echoed that frustration,” Southard said. “We will continue to work in the best interest of our City.”

Construction on the project, planned as a theater, bowling alley, arcade and sports bar -- plus additional retail spaces on the northwest corner of Menifee Town Center -- was put on hold in the spring of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has never resumed.