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State Settles Lawsuit With Huntridge Theater Owner

A split state commission on historic preservation accepted a settlement Thursday of a lawsuit against the owner of the Huntridge Theater over upkeep of the shuttered Las Vegas landmark.

By a four to one vote, the Commission on Cultural Centers and Historic Preservation approved an agreement with Huntridge owner Eli Mizrachi that ends more than two years of litigation.

The settlement calls for Mizrachi to pay nearly $390,000 to the state, but that would be waived if he makes the building usable by the end of 2028. That amount is half of state grant money the Huntridge received before Mizrachi owned it.

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Commissioner Bob Stoldal voted against the settlement, saying it gives Mizrachi too much time to rehabilitate the building, which has fallen into disrepair. The building has received federal and state designation as a historic site.

Mizrachi did not return a phone call, and his attorney, Sigal Chattah, declined comment.

The Huntridge, which sits at the corner of East Charleston Boulevard and Maryland Parkway, opened in 1944 and closed in 2004. It began its life as a movie theater and then became a concert venue.

At today’s meeting, the commission called for a full inspection by the state. That inspection was tentatively set for October 10, 72 years to the day, the Huntridge opened.

Besides serving on the commission, Stoldal is a consulting editor at Nevada Public Radio and sits on its Community Advisory Board.

With deep experience in journalism, politics, and the nonprofit sector, news producer Doug Puppel has built strong connections statewide that benefit the Nevada Public Radio audience.