FULLERTON : Council Approves Restaurant Move

Concerned about delays in renovation of the Fox Theater, the City Council has voted in favor of a restaurant owner who had planned to open an eatery in the theater complex but now wants to be dropped from the project.

Instead, Steven Peck wants to build a new restaurant next door to the theater complex. The council gave preliminary approval to Peck’s proposal this week and agreed in principle to buy a portion of Peck’s property, which would be converted to parking. The city also agreed to contribute an undetermined amount of money toward the construction of Peck’s restaurant.

Peck has operated Angelo’s and Vinci’s restaurant at 516 Harbor Blvd. for 20 years. After plans to renovate the Fox Theater were introduced by owner Edward G. Lewis two years ago, Peck, whose restaurant is now on Lewis’ property, said he wanted to stay in the theater complex.

However, unable to obtain a lease extension from Lewis, Peck said he was forced to look elsewhere for a site for his restaurant. Peck’s current lease with Lewis expires Dec. 31, 1991.

“He (Peck) can’t wait around while Fox remains in limbo,” Mayor A.B. Catlin said in reference to the council’s decision. “In many ways, Peck’s plans are better than the original.”

Lewis could not be reached for comment.

In September, the City Council voted to give Lewis a 95-day extension to file his financial plans for the renovation of the vintage theater. The council gave Lewis the extension because of what he called financial difficulties with his partner, Landmark Theatre Corp., which is currently going through financial restructuring.

“From what I understand, Lewis is about to get his finances in shape, and we have no reason to believe the Fox Theater project won’t continue as planned,” Catlin said.

The total cost of the project will be about $7.3 million. Of that, Lewis and Landmark agreed to pay $1.5 million to restore the theater’s six Italian-style murals and stage decorations and bring the building up to modern standards for earthquake safety and access to the physically handicapped. The $1.5 million is in addition to the $1.1 million Lewis said he has already spent on repairs to the theater.

In April, the council voted to spend $4.7 million to buy and demolish houses behind the theater, relocate tenants living there and build a 220-space parking garage on the land.

The Fox Theater, built in 1925, has been vacant since it closed in 1987. Plans call for the theater’s huge screen to remain in place, but the cinema will be split with the upstairs balcony area converted to two smaller screens.

Landmark hopes to open the theater by early next year.