There was cheering, applause, even a monologue from Macbeth — “Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more” — when San Juan Capistrano chose a developer’s vision for a prime downtown parcel in 2017.
“Frontier Real Estate Investments is committed to preserving and enhancing the arts community in San Juan Capistrano by developing a dynamic Performing Arts venue in the Downtown District for artists and patrons to enjoy,” says a presentation to city officials some five years ago.
The first-class facility — on the property where the Camino Real Playhouse and a parking lot stand — would provide “robust performing and fine arts programming” amid fine full-service restaurants, retail shops that complement the arts, creative office space and parking.
The first blush of vision is one thing. Reality is another.
Exclusive negotiations over the property began. There were meetings. Feedback. Changes. The two-story underground parking structure originally envisioned was a problem: There were water table issues. Some folks said they wouldn’t feel safe there at night. The logistics of squeezing a 200-plus-seat theater onto the site proved challenging.
When the city finally approved the sale of the property in November, concept art for the project looked quite different. It had 27,000 square feet of office and business space; a four-story above-ground parking structure; and no performing arts center.
“That went out the window,” said Mark Nielsen, a former city councilmember who was critical from the start. “We ultimately end up with what I had anticipated — a multi-use retail center with parking, and no inclusion of anything related to a performing arts venue.”
But here we invoke the score of “Hamilton”: Just you wait, says developer Dan Almquist.
Cowboy ethic
“I subscribe to the cowboy ethic. I’m a man of my word,” Almquist said. “I live…
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