Council OKs Proposal for Restoration of Fun Zone

A $7-million plan to renovate Balboa’s historic Fun Zone and restore its old Ferris wheel and carrousel was approved by the Newport Beach City Council Monday night.

Under the plan, which would need the approval of the California Coastal Commission, the existing buildings would be razed and replaced with four single-story buildings to be used for fast-food restaurants and retail shops. Also, the deteriorated Ferris wheel and carrousel would be restored and a new arcade would be added, said Jorge Yavar, one of the Fun Zone owners.

But some Fun Zone staples, such as the bumper cars, would not be replaced, Yavar said.

Coastal Commission Next

The project is expected to be considered by the Coastal Commission in two to three months. Project officials said construction would probably take about four months, and thus would not be completed before summer begins.

The Fun Zone is on the Balboa Peninsula, bordering Newport Bay between Palm and Washington streets.

Yavar, a Newport Beach developer, and two other investors bought the Fun Zone in July, 1984, for an undisclosed amount. The previous owner, Balboa Fun Zone Ltd., had received approval to build a $20-million, three-story office and commercial complex with underground parking but was unable to begin construction before their approvals expired.

Earlier Plans Opposed

Earlier plans to develop the Fun Zone had met considerable opposition from neighbors, who cited traffic problems, among other things. Currently, no on-site parking is available.

The latest proposal, however, received the unanimous approval of the council Monday night. Councilman Don Strauss termed it “far superior” to the previous plan that the council had approved. Under the new plan, a partially underground parking area with 56 spaces would be included.

The Fun Zone was erected in 1936, about a decade after the Balboa Pavilion’s Rendezvous Ballroom became popular for big-band performances. Together, the ballroom and Fun Zone drew high school and college students to the Balboa Peninsula, particularly during Easter vacation, which became known as Bal Week, and during the summer.

Interest began to wane in the 1960s, however, after the ballroom burned and the resort atmosphere began to fade.

The proposed development by Yavar and his fellow investors would add 1,700 square feet to the Fun Zone site.