Second in a series
Re “For the First Time, Landlord Speaks His True Feelings”
The handy journalistic advantage of interviewing Mike Karagozian, landlord of the late Culver City Ice Arena, is that his audience never has to guess what he truly means.
Subtlety is for others. He is delightfully forthright.
“Did I hear that 14,000 people were ravin’and rantin’ they want to keep the skating rink and all this?” he asked. “Is this true.”
Assured that the number was even higher, Mr. Karagozian chuckled.
What would the landlord say to these heartbroken skating families whose children are devastated that the 52-year-old Ice Arena closed eight days ago while the new lessee and the landlord are attempting to decipher and navigate an arcane jungle of late-rising legalities?
“I’ve got nothing to say to them.”
Would Mr. Karagozian offer them even a fingertip of encouragement?
“The only thing is, I can understand they are used to going to that skating rink. I can understand. But what we want to have go in there is just as good as an amusement, and entertainment, gettin’ in shape, probably for a larger segment of people.”
He was alluding to new lessee Planet Granite’s intentions to offer rock climbing, yoga and a fitness center when it opens, possibly sometime this calendar year, although that is by no means certain.
“I mean, when you have a gym, then yoga and rock climbing,” said Mr. Karagozian,
“when you stop to think about it, doesn’t that cover more people than just simple ice skating?”
The journalist stepped in. “You make a good point, although the assertion is debatable. And there certainly is a very rabid ice skating audience that has been built up. On the afternoon of Closing Day at the Arena, it looked like Dodger Stadium during the World Series. The rink was flooded with people.”
Mr. Karagozian fired back strong.
“Another thing is, the guy that’s been in there the last 15, 20 years (CEO John Jackson) has turned it into a cesspool.
“Yeah, Jackson. Look at the place. You know, this guy, I don’t know how the city let him get away with that. You know, the problem is, I am an absentee landlord,” said Mr. Karagozian, whose family moved to the Central Valley when he was 7, and he has lived in Greater Fresno ever since.
“The place, the place has been an albatross to me for 50 years,” said the 69-year-old Mr. Karagozian. “So, I don’t wanna go into all that now.”
Although he later did.
(To be continued)
