Regarding the hotel and proposed parking structure to its south:
The city had $2-million in grant money on tap to build the lower part of the structure… but the hotel’s owners reneged on a tentative plan to fund the upper floors of the structure.
As a result, the city had to give the grand money back.
“We finally got tired of waiting for something to be done,” said City Services Director Dave Lamon.
The work on the historic theater’s marquee began Friday and was completed Tuesday. Owners George Benny and Eva Hollo of California Partners LLC of Oakland will be billed $6,000 for the work, Lamon said.
The 1920s Spanish-style theater building underwent a facade cleaning and paint job about a year ago, but still failed to meet basic city standards, city officials have said.
Benny and Hollo have not responded to requests for written information about their future plans for the building, according to Lamon and City Manager Steve Casey.
When reached by telephone Wednesday, Hollo refused to comment on anything related to the property.
That happened last year, which has improved the overall look.
Unfortunately, the marquee is in need of work, and the new owners maintain a running battle with the city, which is trying to enforce codes.
Hence the fines each day the building hasn’t been brought up to spec. The owners are making some <ahem> interesting claims about the FBI investigating them and other things. View link
The newspaper reports that one of the new owners has done prison time:
“George Benny did a 10-year stint in federal prison on mail fraud and racketeering charges. He was paroled in 1993.
Benny and Hollo also have asserted that Marysville officials have targeted the couple unfairly because of their Hungarian background.
According to city officials, the Bennys have never responded to requests for written information about their future plans for the building.”
So the State sitsâ€"unusableâ€"right across the parking lot from the also unusable Marysville Hotel. Which has been an on-again, off-again project for a succession of owners… who have done nothing to fix the place since it closed in the 1980’s.
The city IS going to put a multi-story parking lot in the current ground-level lot just south of the hotel, and wants both of these landmarks turned into useful, attractive, job, income and tax creating properties.
I’d like to see the parking lot, hotel, theater and adjoining properties combined into a conference and convention center. Something that would be affordable for groups that can’t handle the costs of meetings in Sacramento and other larger cities.
Back in the mid 1960’s and even into the 80’s as I recall… the theater was indeed run by Joe Seery, who also managed UA’s Sutter Theater in Yuba City, across the river.
As a ten to fifteen year old, I remember summer afternoons riding my bike into town from Linda, nd then sitting in the back of the main floor in the cool, dark watching Bond movies, pictures like “The Ipcress File,” and “The Spy Who Came In From the Cold,” and “The Yellow Rolls Royce” at the State.
The projection was good (from what I could tell at the time.) The sound had what I’d call a “slap-back” echo, though.
Back then, the box office was a true “box” office in the middle of the entranceway. When the front was modernized during UA’s ownership, the box office was remove and a ticket window was built on the south side of the entrance.
The last time I was in the theater as a patron I sat in what had been the balcony, in the “north” screening room that had been made by enclosing the balcony on both ends, with just enough room for the main screen’s projector beams. “Desecration” came to mind, but I understood the economics of the situation.
I stepped into the lobby after the fire, and thought, “what a mess!”
It kiboshed thoughts I’d entertained of getting the local Arts Council just up the street to cooperate on a film festival, using the State as one of the showcases.
Regarding the hotel and proposed parking structure to its south:
The city had $2-million in grant money on tap to build the lower part of the structure… but the hotel’s owners reneged on a tentative plan to fund the upper floors of the structure.
As a result, the city had to give the grand money back.
View link
There goes a fairly sizeable positive step for the high-traffic part of town.
Ted
Lost Memory’s pix shows the recent marquee repair and painting that the City of Marysville did when the owners didn’t.
The local newspaper ran a story recently.
City takes theater problems into its own hands, bills owners
August 14, 2008 12:05:00 AM
By Nancy Pasternack/Appeal-Democrat
Full version here:
View link
Significant new developments:
“We finally got tired of waiting for something to be done,” said City Services Director Dave Lamon.
The work on the historic theater’s marquee began Friday and was completed Tuesday. Owners George Benny and Eva Hollo of California Partners LLC of Oakland will be billed $6,000 for the work, Lamon said.
The 1920s Spanish-style theater building underwent a facade cleaning and paint job about a year ago, but still failed to meet basic city standards, city officials have said.
Benny and Hollo have not responded to requests for written information about their future plans for the building, according to Lamon and City Manager Steve Casey.
When reached by telephone Wednesday, Hollo refused to comment on anything related to the property.
The property has been neglected for many years, and the city had to force the previous owner to repaint.
View link
That happened last year, which has improved the overall look.
Unfortunately, the marquee is in need of work, and the new owners maintain a running battle with the city, which is trying to enforce codes.
Hence the fines each day the building hasn’t been brought up to spec. The owners are making some <ahem> interesting claims about the FBI investigating them and other things.
View link
The newspaper reports that one of the new owners has done prison time:
“George Benny did a 10-year stint in federal prison on mail fraud and racketeering charges. He was paroled in 1993.
Benny and Hollo also have asserted that Marysville officials have targeted the couple unfairly because of their Hungarian background.
According to city officials, the Bennys have never responded to requests for written information about their future plans for the building.”
So the State sitsâ€"unusableâ€"right across the parking lot from the also unusable Marysville Hotel. Which has been an on-again, off-again project for a succession of owners… who have done nothing to fix the place since it closed in the 1980’s.
The city IS going to put a multi-story parking lot in the current ground-level lot just south of the hotel, and wants both of these landmarks turned into useful, attractive, job, income and tax creating properties.
I’d like to see the parking lot, hotel, theater and adjoining properties combined into a conference and convention center. Something that would be affordable for groups that can’t handle the costs of meetings in Sacramento and other larger cities.
Back in the mid 1960’s and even into the 80’s as I recall… the theater was indeed run by Joe Seery, who also managed UA’s Sutter Theater in Yuba City, across the river.
As a ten to fifteen year old, I remember summer afternoons riding my bike into town from Linda, nd then sitting in the back of the main floor in the cool, dark watching Bond movies, pictures like “The Ipcress File,” and “The Spy Who Came In From the Cold,” and “The Yellow Rolls Royce” at the State.
The projection was good (from what I could tell at the time.) The sound had what I’d call a “slap-back” echo, though.
Back then, the box office was a true “box” office in the middle of the entranceway. When the front was modernized during UA’s ownership, the box office was remove and a ticket window was built on the south side of the entrance.
The last time I was in the theater as a patron I sat in what had been the balcony, in the “north” screening room that had been made by enclosing the balcony on both ends, with just enough room for the main screen’s projector beams. “Desecration” came to mind, but I understood the economics of the situation.
I stepped into the lobby after the fire, and thought, “what a mess!”
It kiboshed thoughts I’d entertained of getting the local Arts Council just up the street to cooperate on a film festival, using the State as one of the showcases.
Oh, well.
Ted.