Huntridge Theater revival could begin by year’s end

Revival plans have sputtered over the years for the closed historic Huntridge Theater in downtown Las Vegas, but a path to reopening could now be just three steps away, beginning with an expected City Council vote in two weeks.

Former longtime City Attorney Brad Jerbic, who retired in July yet continues to help the city facilitate a sale between current owners and a well-known developer, told city lawmakers on Wednesday that three approvals must happen to close the deal.

The City Council must sign off on a plan in two weeks, he said, and then hopefully it is followed by approvals from the State Historic Preservation Office shortly thereafter and the city Historic Preservation Commission on Oct. 28.

J. Dapper, of Las Vegas-based Dapper Companies, intends to purchase the theater for $4 million from longtime owners, the Mizrachi family, and restore it to its “original glory,” drawing local and big-name musical acts to the venue and potentially building apartments, a restaurant and brewery next door.

In June, Dapper told the council that chances were “extremely high” that a deal would close by the end of this year. Jerbic said Wednesday that the present sequence of approvals, if they happen, would put it on track to close by Dec. 28.

Under the plan described by Jerbic, Dapper has agreed to maintain the theater in its historic condition for 12 years, although probably longer. He also agreed to new covenants for the theater that will replace the ones inherited by the Mizrachi family.

If the city and agencies approve, according to Jerbic, the Mizrachi family’s existing debt to the state will be forgiven and the theater will transfer to Dapper “free and clear.” Standing next to Diane Siebrandt, the city’s historic preservation officer, Jerbic said the sequence toward closing a deal was a “pretty significant update.”

“The potential of this is wonderful,” Mayor Carolyn Goodman said.

The theater was built in 1944, showing movies throughout its life and growing into a premier concert venue by the 1990s. The Mizrachi family acquired it in 2002 and closed it for renovations two years later, but it never reopened amid escalating construction costs and its future has remained in limbo.

Contact Shea Johnson at sjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ on Twitter.