Second in a series
Re “Kings Next up at Arena? Only When Warm Place Freezes”
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“The problem is,” said the owner Michael Karagozian, “that you have a piece of property (the Culver City Ice Arena) that has historical significance. We understand that.
“There are the three criteria – the Landmark, Significant and Recognized. The consultant who spoke at Monday night’s City Council meeting, was totally subjective. She said when she first looked at the building, ‘This is going to be easy.’”
The ice rink building, wildly popular with skaters down to Closing Day last winter, has been in the Karagozian family for all of its 52 yearsrical.
“But the building itself is of no historical value,” said Mr. Karagozian, a Fresno attorney. Cynically, he added that “it looks like a juvenile detention facility. And I have seen plenty of those in my work. That is exactly what it looks like – over 50 years old, decrepit and worn.
“On the inside, where they skated, of course it has historical significance.”
Now Mr. Karagozian wheeled toward a main theme on his mind – the building’s immediate future.
The Council’s act of choosing the recommended middle rating, Significance, comes with a significant price tag – for the property owner, and everyone on the dais three nights ago knew it.
The middle ranking effectively places handcuffs, restrictions, on the property owner.
His burning feelings growing, Mr. Karagozian zeroed in on the most egregious handicap imposed on him by the Council vote: A restrictive limitation of his options.
Even though the land and its building have been in his family since 1962, Mr. Karagozian’s ability to choose the property’s future has been narrowed.
Said the owner:
“You are going to keep that thing to where certain viable businesses aren’t going to come in there. They are going to feel burdened. You see, they will have to worry about whether they are going to be able to change the building or tear it down.”
What are Mr. Karagozian’s choices?
(To be continued)
