By Brooklynn Wong
What was once an exciting prospect for the city that would have attracted even more tourists to the entertainment corridor, may not ever come to fruition, or will at least be stalled for some time.
The state-of-the-art “butterfly palladium” that was to be built on the old Movieland Wax Museum property on Beach Boulevard, touted as what would have been the biggest butterfly exhibit in the world, and to feature an aquarium and restaurant and theater, has fallen on hard times.
First the developer fell behind on construction deadlines and did not make clear whether it had funding to actually complete the project, and the city denied requests for extensions. The developers suggested it’s not unusual that a project of this size and scope would need more time, and the city then sued the developer and now wants to buy the land back.
The City Council and staff discussed the matter in closed session this Tuesday, and when the regular City Council meeting began, City Attorney Christopher Cardinale said that talks continued on the existing litigation in “City of Buena Park vs. Butterfly Pavilion, LLC,” but that there was “no final or reportable action.”
Developer Rubin Stahl bought the 7711 Beach Blvd. nine-acre property in 2015, ground was broken the following year, and it was to be completed in October 2018.
It was far from done then, and the developer asked for a 13 month extension. The city denied the request.
The matter came up again for discussion at a January City Council meeting.
All members of the City Council were vocal about not trusting that the job could get done. They had been excited about the prospect, they said, and were disappointed that it was not coming to fruition.
They spoke of wanting to hold developers accountable, and Mayor Pro Tem Fred Smith said, “Every time they’ve made a promise it’s been broken…I have no faith whatsoever and I don’t want to do this to our city.”
It’s estimated that the project, to this point, is only 12-15% completed.
The city went on to sue Rubin Stahl, the owner of Butterfly Pavilion, LLC, for misrepresentation, for failing to meet deadlines.
The city hopes to buy the property back.
Stahl’s attorney, John Bowerbank, has said that the developer has continued trying to get extensions from the city so the project can still be completed. He has called the city’s attempt to get the land back a “land grab.”
No involved parties responded immediately to a request for further comment.
