Despite the Hermosa Beach municipality approving a major building variance in June, Gene Shook, owner of the long-defunct Hermosa Pavilion on Pacific Coast Highway, still has yet to move forward with his plans to develop the site known as one of the city’s most notable eyesores.

According to the Hermosa Beach Community Development Department, Shook, of ITC Real Estate, has yet to submit any construction plans to the city.

“We are working on the plans now,” said Shook. “We had to change some things around with the fitness club, and so we’ve been working with 24-Hour Fitness and it takes time do get these things done. I’m not sure when we’ll get these plans done but I hope to get something to the city fairly soon.” 

In June, the Hermosa Beach City Council approved the pavilion’s precise development plan and a height variance to the city’s 35-foot height limit. Shook asked for the variance, claiming he needed to enclose the building’s top floor and eliminate the site’s valet area on the east side of the pavilion by turning it into extra floor space. Shook pushed for the extra square footage on the project to meet the needs of 24-Hour Fitness.

Councilman Michael Keegan was the lone dissenter on approving the project because he contended a height variance would create more bulk on the building. Keegan also believes Shook never planned to redevelop the site but sought the variance in the hopes of selling the property to an interested party at a higher value.

“It’s already been six months since this variance approval and he’s done nothing,” said Keegan. “I don’t think he ever intended to build anything. I was never against the project, I would love to see a 24-Hour Fitness go inside that building. I voted against the variance because I don’t think this is the guy we want to be giving variances to. I just didn’t think he would do what he said.”

The pavilion is supposed to be the site of a 24-Hour health and fitness club equipped with a swimming pool and a full-size basketball court. The national corporation entered into a 15-year lease contract with Shook who hopes to attract other tenants to the office and retail space.

The 68,000-square-foot-facility operated by 24-Hour Fitness would be the bulk of the project while Shook reserved an estimated 25,000 and 15,000 square feet for office and retail space, respectively, for a total of 108,000 square feet. 

“We are getting very close. We are just trying to tweak a few things but everything is in position and it’s a complex project,” explained Shook. “Right now, we have 24-Hour Fitness and we might have a day spa going in there too. We have had interest in a number of tenants for both the office and retail space. It just takes time, it’s not a simple project.”

Shook won approval from the Planning Commission in 1999 for his remodeling plan to convert the old space comprising retail use and a movie theater into its current proposed use.

The building once housed the 26,000-square-foot AMC theater while 46,000 square feet was reserved for retail and restaurant use for a total of 72,000 square feet.