While the semi-vacant Apple Valley Plaza looks to be sold, residents are asking about the fate of the town-owned and occupied Singh Center for the Arts on the west end of the property.
In 2023, the plaza owner donated the shuttered AMC movie theater to the Town of Apple Valley, with the town repurposing the building on the plaza property at the corner of Bear Valley and Central roads.
The property also includes fully constructed and vacant 35,000 and 10,000-square-foot retail buildings, a 5,000 square-foot office/service use building, a weed-covered slab for another 35,000-square-foot building, and undeveloped pads.
A price tag of $6.5 million is attached to the Apple Valley Plaza, according to Coldwell Banker Commercial, which states the gas station property currently being developed is not part of the sale listing.
Singh Center
Apple Valley Mayor Scott Nassif told the Daily Press that the Singh Center building, and property the building sits upon, is fully owned by the town, and not part of the sale.
Nassif said the plaza owner is selling portions of the property in hopes that renovation of each section draws more interested buyers.
Earlier this year, construction began on a new gas station with a drive-thru restaurant on the east end of the plaza, the Daily Press reported.
The nearly 55,000-square-foot Singh Center, on 4.27-acres, continues to be used for town events as well as being rented out to private individuals and groups.
Plaza stalled
In 2008, the Great Recession brought financial difficulties to the plaza, including cost overruns, which prevented the project’s completion, town officials said.
The plaza’s owner had hired a consultant to work with a lender, the town, school district officials, and other tenants to develop a complete strategy, which was unfruitful.
With 2,600 stadium-style seats, digital cinema technology, and 3D viewing options, the theater debuted as the UltraStar Digiplex in December 2007. It was the only business to open at the now-abandoned plaza.
In 2014, Carmike Cinemas became the owner-operator of Digiplex Apple Valley 14 until AMC acquired the company in 2016.
Theater closed, donated
On May 4, 2023, signs on locked doors and empty movie poster holders told visitors that the nearly 16-year-old AMC theater in Apple Valley had permanently closed.
During that time, town officials said they had offered to help the property owner and broker as they worked to lease the space at the Apple Valley Plaza.
The theater and property were donated to the town in 2023, with the town only paying for ongoing maintenance and/or staffing costs, the town said.
The town’s property donation agreement included the town paying closing costs and pro-rations through the close of escrow, including all fees and charges in the amount of just under $3 million.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Apple Valley Plaza for sale, residents ponder Singh Center’s fate
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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By Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
