A court settlement with the city was revealed Wednesday, requiring the owner of the run-down California Theatre building in downtown San Diego to either sell or demolish the property.
The almost century-old abandoned building on C Street must be put up for sale by the end of the month, according to the ruling in a lawsuit the city brought two years ago. The owners will then have until the end of the next year to complete the sale of the property. Caydon Property Group, the building’s owner, will have ninety days to secure permits for a controlled demolition if the transaction does not proceed by that time.
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The Caliente is what many people associate with the building! Instead of its long-closed box office on 4th Avenue, which, like a ghost from the past century, had a poster of Wendy’s Where’s the Beef? advertising campaign, the building along Third Avenue had an Old Mexico horse-racing painting on the back of the building.
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If the requirements of the settlement aren’t fulfilled, Caydon, which bought the land in 2019 with plans for a hotel and condominium complex at the location, might be subject to immediate civil fines of up to $1 million.
“This long-neglected property has been a danger and a drain on our community for far too long,” said Heather Ferbert, the city attorney for San Diego. “The owner now has a clear option after this settlement: either sell the land or tear down the dangerous buildings. In any case, San Diegans will witness action at the California Theatre location for the first time.
According to city officials, the building has been a common hangout for trespassers in recent years, some of whom have set fire to it. The property also presents a risk to the public, according to the City Attorney’s Office, because the buildings contain hazardous materials like asbestos and lead paint, and pedestrians are put in danger by structural dangers like building fragments that collapse.
“The California Theatre has degraded downtown for many years and stood in the way of the advancement that local companies and citizens want. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria stated, “This settlement provides genuine accountability and a clear path to resolving the unacceptable conditions at the site.” “I’m grateful to the City Attorney and her Housing Protection and Civil Code Compliance Unit for their diligent work to secure this outcome, which moves us closer to realizing the tremendous potential of this property and its role in revitalizing the Civic Center area.”
