Century-Old Building to Be Demolished

A 101-year-old building will be demolished to build low-income apartments if the city approves the plan Wednesday.

The Planning Commission will vote on it Wednesday during a 6 p.m. meeting at the .

The plan entails tearing down the antique Arviso House and building a $12.5 million apartment complex called Portola Terrace on its 1.53-acre lot, according to city documents.

The house sits on the west side of Pujol Street surrounded in chain link fences. A tattered blue tarpaulin whipped in the wind from the roof and piles of trash leaned on its walls today.

Though the words, "Krieger's General Mercantile" are nailed to the front awning, the shop hasn't seen a customer since it was relocated from its original site on Mercedes and Fourth Streets.

The owners of the shop, Nancy and Otto Baron, moved it in 2007 when plans for the Civic Center began coming together.

They sold it to the current owner, AMCAL, in July.

Though the house was on a list of historic buildings, the Temecula Valley Historical Society authorized removing it from that list.

"We have no interest in the structure and authorize removing it from the list of historic buildings in Temecula," wrote Bonnie Martland, the president of the society, to the city's planning department. "The Temecula Valley Historical Society is saddened to loose another historic structure in Temecula, but in this case, (it sees) no alternative."

Click on the photo above to read the letter and see a map of the location.

The apartment complex will be funded in part by tax dollars. The City Council voted in February to give $5.57 million in Redevelopment Agency funds to build it.

The three-story complex will include 45 apartments, a pool, gathering center and two parking structures. The rent will cost $668-$896, according to city documents.