City awards contract for demolition of theater structure

A company has been contracted to demolish the Krikorian Theater structure beginning next month. (File photo)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The City of Menifee has accepted a bid for the demolition of the Krikorian Theater structure. Work should begin next month, according to city documents.

The City Council last week approved a contract in the amount of $231,100 with AD Improvements, Inc. The city engineer’s estimate for the work was $350,000. AD Improvements submitted the lowest of nine bids ranging as high as $1.03 million.

Actual cost of the demolition is $192,000 for the theater structure and $39,000 for the retail pads on the corner of Newport Road and Town Center Drive. Permission to demolish the retail pads has not yet been given by an arbitration hearing officer. If the officer rules in the city’s favor, the City Council must in a separate action declare those structures a public nuisance before demolition can begin, according to city documents.

Demolition of the theater structure is scheduled to begin in December and be completed by February. According to the contract, “The Project would consist of site clearance, debris removal, demolition and removal of structures, accessory structures, foundation, concrete work, pavement, footings, and all vegetation. The Project would also include the removal of sub-surface utilities and the cap-off of water and sewer lines per Building Division and Public Works requirements.”

The actual amount of the funds approved for this project is $265,765, which includes associated staff and legal costs. The approved document states that the city would “thereafter seek to recover the full costs of abatement through a lien and/or assessment placed on the property, or through direct recovery efforts against the property owner. To the extent any costs of abatement are recovered, they would be repaid to the General Fund.”

For the time being, George Krikorian still owns the property. Krikorian stated in a court filing on Aug. 15 that he had a purchase agreement with United Growth Capital, LLC, but that United Growth canceled the escrow. Efforts by Menifee 24/7 and the City of Menifee to get a comment from Krikorian this week were unsuccessful.