The historic single-screen Vogue Theater that sprouted in the heart of Chula Vista in 1945 sees further delays in its transformation due to the pandemic.
Tecture Red LLC's design-build firm envisions turning Vogue's days of delicious popcorn and Dollar Tuesdays into an event venue and dining experience to attract guests at all hours. But with the pandemic's impact, the company says it needs some more time.
"As you can imagine, the pandemic has kind of thrown this project for a loop," Slade Fischer, co-owner of Tecture, told the City Council during a meeting earlier this month.
Approximately a year ago, the city granted Tecture more time to submit documentation. According to a city staff report, the firm has encountered difficulties providing proof of financing and submitting construction documents to the city with pandemic-induced uncertainty.
Fischer said the firm essentially had only 11 months to put the project together and requested more time from the city council during a Dec.7 meeting, who returned on Dec.14 and granted the request.
As a property owner near the Vogue, Mayor Mary Casillas Salas recused herself from the vote, which unanimously supported the firm's time extension with re-established
Proof of financing is required by March 12, construction documents by June 13, and permits for the project by Dec.9 of 2022. The city staff report says failure to meet any established deadline would result in a terminated agreement with the city.
The parcel adjacent to the Vouge was sold to the firm by the city for $210,000 in 2019, subject to change upon acquiring financing and documentation. Councilmember Jill Galvez, whose constituency is District 2, addressed concerns surrounding the project's time extension and suggested the council should consider assigning a different use for the lot. According to Fischer, the parcel makes the project financially feasible.
"We forget that we're the second-largest city in the county, and this is one of those projects that can elevate our city," Councilmember Andrea Cardenas said in support of providing Tecture with extended deadlines.
The city staff report says that Tecture requires quarterly progress reports over the year.
The Vogue struggled to compete with nearby multi-screen movie theatres and shopping malls. It closed in the summer of 2006 when they featured "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift," "Over the Hedge," and "Poseidon."
