NORTH HOLLYWOOD : Earthquake Deals Setback to Arts District

Just as North Hollywood had set its sights on an economic recovery, spurred by the proposed NoHo Arts District and a revamped Laurel Plaza Mall, the Northridge earthquake has shaken the community’s dreams as easily as it rattled the buildings.

But the show must go on. “It’s going to take a lot more than this to put us out of business,” said Dan Hirsch, owner of NoHo Studios at Lankershim and Magnolia boulevards, which has been red-tagged. “We expect we’ll be back up and running in three to four weeks.”

According to Jim Mahfet, executive director of the Universal City/North Hollywood Chambers of Commerce, the quake forced dozens of small businesses and several large commercial enterprises temporarily out of business.

Laurel Plaza Mall on Oxnard Street was perhaps the hardest hit. A spokeswoman said structural damage could force all but one of the mall’s 33 stores--Robinsons-May--to remain closed for one to two months.

Despite the damage, a spokesman for mall owner Forest City Development said the firm plans to continue to seek city approval of a proposed $150-million renovation plan for the mall.

At Valley Plaza, an outdoor mall on Victory Boulevard, it will be at least two months before screenings resume at the United Artists Theaters.

The renovated El Portal Theatre, which was supposed to begin its first production this Saturday, suffered about $1 million in damage and has been declared unsafe. Bob Caine, managing director of the theater, could not estimate the time it would take to reopen.

The American Renegade Theatre on Magnolia Boulevard lost one of its two stages during the quake, and its next production will be produced at the West End Theater in Van Nuys.

“We don’t know how long it’s going to take to repair the damage because FEMA and the Small Business Administration does not loan money to theaters,” said David Cox, executive director of American Renegade. He estimated damage at $100,000.

Both theaters were considered linchpins in the plan to revitalize a portion of North Hollywood into the NoHo Arts District. The proposal would allow artists to set up galleries, studios and other businesses in their homes.

But Caine and others insist that the setbacks will be only temporary. “It’s a way to test your mettle,” said Caine. “If you are really committed to what you want to do, you find a way.”