Eyesore Ex-Market to Be Razed

After nearly a year of angry complaints, disregarded Planning Commission orders and countless delays, Dillenbeck’s Market, a Canyon Country landmark turned eyesore, has been slated for demolition Saturday morning.

“I’m excited that this is going to be a file we can now close,” said Ruben Barrera, a city building official, “and make that part of the community somewhat happy that this is going to get cleared up.”

Owners Simon Fierstein and Bryan Stafford are also “very happy” that the building will finally be torn down, said their lawyer, Steven Kerekes.

Dillenbeck’s, built shortly after World War II ended, was a hub of activity during the early years of development in this area. As a general store, it sold items ranging from farm equipment to groceries.

The business was sold by the original owner, Charlie Dillenbeck, in the 1980s to Fierstein and Stafford. They ran it as a market for a short time before closing it. The building has been empty for about 10 years.

Locals complained, especially in recent years, that the building was deteriorating and attracting undesirables, from rodents to gang members.

The building was slated to be burned down as a firefighting exercise last fall, after the owners of the building said they did not have the $5,000 to $10,000 needed to properly demolish it.

But inspectors discovered asbestos in the burning, forcing the cancellation of the fire exercise.

The owners then requested and received additional time to raise the funds needed to remove the asbestos and go forward with the demolition.

By Saturday, if all goes as scheduled, the asbestos will be gone and demolition will proceed.