CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Confirmation of the Statement of Abatement Costs for the Krikorian Entertainment Complex
MEETING DATE: March 18, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Craig Carlson, Building Official
REVIEWED BY: Orlando Hernandez, Community Development Director APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Adopt a resolution repealing and replacing Resolution No. 26-1671, confirming the final statement of costs in the amount of $420,527.25 to abate the public nuisance for the Krikorian Entertainment Complex located at 27387, 27459, and 27483 Newport Road; and
2. Authorize the placement of a special assessment or lien on the real property in case of delinquency.
DISCUSSION
At the January 21, 2026, City Council meeting, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-1671, confirming the statement of costs to abate the public nuisance for the Krikorian Entertainment Complex. This item is being brought forward for the City Council’s reconfirmation to ensure that all parties involved receive appropriate notification regarding the action being taken for the confirmation of the statement of abatement costs. The City Council is required to hold a public hearing to authorize the assessment or lien to the properties.
The Krikorian Entertainment Complex is located at 27387, 27459, and 27483 Newport Road (Property). Until the City’s recent abatement, the site consisted of three partially completed commercial structures, one retail framed shell building, one burned retail building with only remaining foundation/posts, and one partially constructed movie theater building.
Since 2021, the City has taken multiple code enforcement and abatement actions regarding ongoing violations at the Property owned by Showprop Menifee De, LLC (Owner). These actions are summarized in Table 1: Timeline of Actions. The City’s involvement began when the Property was first cited on September 1, 2021, for non-compliance due to overgrown vegetation, graffiti, and lack of adherence to development standards. Over time, the Property remained in violation, and in June 2023, all City-issued building permits expired due to lack of construction progress.
Subsequent inspections and enforcement efforts throughout late 2023 led to the issuance of
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Notices of Intent to Abate Public Nuisance for both the theater and the adjoining retail pad structures. The Owner appealed both notices, prompting administrative hearings in early 2024.
The hearing officer ultimately upheld the City’s position, denying the Owner’s appeals.
Following continued deterioration of the partially constructed structures, the City obtained a court- approved Inspection Warrant and performed a comprehensive inspection in April 2024. The inspection was performed by a team of Structural Engineers, City Fire Inspectors, and other construction specialists to fully assess the fire, life safety, environmental and health hazards at the Property. The inspection was necessary in order to determine the extent and scope of the substandard conditions on the Property and any further enforcement action that would be required to ensure the safety of community. The findings in the report revealed that a number of substandard conditions and public safety issues existed on the Property that required attention and that the Property constituted a public nuisance under a number of the City’s regulations including Menifee Municipal Code section 11.20.020 (2)(a-j), (4), (5), (7), (8), (13), (14), (27), (34), (39), (40)(a, c).
Based on the results of the comprehensive inspection, the lack of progress by the property owner to both adequately secure the site and ensure public safety or address the substandard conditions on the property, and in conformance with Menifee Municipal Code Section 11.20.130, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 24-1434 in June 2024, declaring the theater property a public nuisance, and authorized the City to abate the conditions should the Owner fail to do so. The Owner subsequently allowed the project’s land use entitlements to expire and took no action to correct the violations. A second administrative hearing regarding the retail pads resulted in a similar outcome, and in December 2024, the Council adopted Resolution No. 24-1526 declaring those structures a public nuisance.
In November 2024, the City Council authorized the City to enter into a demolition and site clearance contract with a Project Scope consisting of site clearance, debris removal, demolition and removal of the theater and retail pad structures, accessory structures, foundation, concrete work, pavement, footings, and all vegetation. The Project also included the removal of sub-surface utilities and the cap-off of water and sewer lines per Building Division and Public Works requirements. In response to the Owner’s failure to commence abatement of the nuisance conditions, the City moved forward with the demolition of the three commercial structures on January 24, 2025. The City Council accepted the completed demolition and site clearance on November 19, 2025, and authorized the City Clerk to file a Notice of Completion (NOC) with the Riverside County Recorder’s Office.
The complete sequence of actions taken by the City is provided below.
TABLE 1: TIMELINE OF ACTIONS
Date Action Taken Details/Outcome
September 1, 2021 Initial Code
Enforcement Action
Property cited for non-compliance (graffiti,
overgrown vegetation, lack of development
standards).
June 2, 2023 Permit Expiration All City-issued building permits for the Property expired due to lack of progress.
October 12, 2023 Notice of Intent to Abate
(Theater)
Issued to Owner; appeal filed on Oct. 20,
2023.
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November 29, 2023 Notice of Intent to Abate
(Retail Pads)
Issued to Owner; appeal filed on Nov. 30,
2023.
February 12, 2024 Administrative Hearing
(Theater)
Hearing held on appeal of the Theater
Notice.
February 26, 2024 Hearing Officer Decision Appeal denied; Notice upheld.
April 17, 2024 Inspection Warrant
Issued
Court approved City inspection of
Property.
April 25, 2024 Comprehensive
Inspection Conducted
Engineers and inspectors assessed
structural, fire, and safety hazards.
June 5, 2024 City Council Resolution
(Theater)
Declared Theater property a public
nuisance; authorized City abatement if
Owner failed to act.
June 13, 2024 Project Entitlements
Expired Land use entitlements lapsed.
October 30, 2024 Administrative Hearing
(Retail Pads) Hearing on appeal of Retail Pads Notice.
November 20, 2024 Demolition Contract
Approved
Council authorized contract with AD
Improvements, Inc. ($231,100).
November 22, 2024 Hearing Officer Decision
(Retail Pads) Appeal denied; Notice upheld.
December 17, 2024 City Council Resolution
(Retail Pads)
Declared retail pad properties a public
nuisance; ordered abatement.
January 24, 2025 Demolition Started City began the demolition of three commercial structures and cleared site.
November 19, 2025 Notice of Completion
(NOC)
Council authorized the City Clerk to file a
NOC with RIVCO Recorder’s Office.
Per Menifee Municipal Code section 11.20.150, the City pursued reimbursement from the Owner for all demolition and site clearance costs incurred in relation to the abatement of the public nuisance through a written notification and Statement of Abatement Costs (Statement) mailed to the Owner on November 17, 2025. The Owner received the Statement on November 20, 2025, and failed to contest the abatement costs within 15 calendar days of receipt, establishing a waiver of the Owner’s right to contest the Statement. As such, the Statement is final and binding upon the City Council's confirmation, and following the City Council action to confirm those costs, the City may proceed to collect the abatement costs in any manner allowed by law.
Pursuant to Civil Code § 2929.45, a public hearing notice was published on February 22, 2026, for the March 4, 2026 City Council public hearing. A public notice was published in The Press Enterprise and notices were mailed to property owners within a 300-foot radius of the project site.
All relevant public agencies and those requesting notification were notified of the public hearing.
At the March 4, 2026 City Council Meeting the City Council continued the public hearing to the March 18, 2026 Meeting.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Safe and Vibrant Community
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FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional fiscal impact associated with the confirmation of the Statement of Abatement Costs. As the City was forced to abate the violations with City Council approval, the City agreed to front the abatement costs, and associated staff and legal costs, from the available fund balance in the General Fund. The City will hereafter seek to recover the full costs of enforcement and abatement costs and fees through a special assessment or lien placed on the Property, or through direct recovery efforts against the Owner. To the extent any costs of abatement are recovered, they would be repaid to the General Fund.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
2. Exhibit A - Statement of Abatement Costs
3. Public Hearing Notice