FULLERTON

Preservationists will hold a public meeting and panel discussion at 7 p.m. tonight about the proposed Fox Theatre restoration. Speaking at the meeting, at Spring Field Banquet Center on Chapman Avenue at Harbor Boulevard, will be Mike Ritto, president of the Fullerton Downtown Business Assn.; Dave Temple, co-chairman of Project Fox; Barbara Smith, executive director of American Cinematheque; and Gary Chalupsky, city redevelopment director. The panel will discuss the positive economic and cultural effects of restoring the theater. The City Council last month agreed to help find a new owner for the historic theater and spend $25,000 to print marketing materials. The selling price is $1.8 million, but restoring the theater, built in 1925, may require millions more. The theater has been boarded up since 1987. Project Fox has gathered more than 12,000 signatures showing the support of restoring the theater. The organization also began a letter-writing campaign to the City Council. Letters of support can be sent to Fullerton Heritage, P.O. Box 3356, Fullerton, CA 92843-4456 or via e-mail at its Web site, https://www .geocities.com/~full_heritage/.