Marineland Park Purchased by Arizona Developer

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. has sold the 100-acre Marineland aquatic park to Arizona-based developer James G. Monaghan for an undisclosed price, the company said Thursday.

The publisher and theme park operator also is negotiating with officials of the Los Angeles Unified School District to construct an animal-care center for beached and stranded marine animals on school district property. The center would replace a unique facility that had operated at Marineland, which HBJ acquired in December and closed in February.

Monaghan, who has developed property in Arizona, Texas and Florida, briefly owned the Circus World theme park in Orlando, Fla., before HBJ bought it in 1986. Monaghan was not available for comment.

Peter Jovanovich, a San Diego-based executive vice president with HBJ, declined to disclose the sale price of the Marineland site. However, he said more than a dozen developers had expressed interest in the property, which HBJ acquired for $23.4 million.

Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Mel Hughes, who met with Monaghan about two weeks ago, said the developer had no firm plans for the property. Monaghan did indicate interest in building a resort hotel and conference center that would allow public access to the area, Hughes said.

The land is zoned for commercial and recreational purposes, Hughes said.

“I’m looking forward to beginning negotiations with a new player,” the mayor said. “Trying to deal with Harcourt has been impossible.”

Closure Angered Residents

In closing the 33-year-old Marineland, HBJ said more than $25 million in improvements were needed to make the park safe and profitable. The closure enraged many local residents, and since then, the company has been pressured to either keep the animal-care center at the park open or construct a new one elsewhere.

Under the proposal submitted to Los Angeles city school officials, HBJ would build a new care facility at an undetermined location at a cost of about $750,000, and then give a foundation a $2.2-million grant to maintain and operate what would become an educational center.

Los Angeles city school spokesman Bill Rivera said the company approached the district about a month ago with the proposal. Among possible sites, district officials have discussed locating such a center next to Angel’s Gate Park in San Pedro on land deeded to the district by the federal government, he said.

However, Rivera said negotiations are still in the preliminary stage. The matter is expected to be discussed by school board members Monday.