Court-appointed receiver targets late November

The Plunge, Mission Beach’s iconic indoor pool, is being prepped for a reopening in late November. The pool, a popular and historic centerpiece of Belmont Park, was closed in May after former master leaseholder Tom Lochtefeld became locked in a lengthy and bitter rental-increase battle with the city and subsequently lost his lease. Under court-appointed receivership, the Plunge appears poised for a rebirth — although details about the new direction of the pool facility and Belmont Park as a whole have not yet been publicly revealed. “We don’t have an exact date on when the pool will be reopened but it will be in late November,” said Mike Garcia of Wave House Athletic Club’s member services. City officials have also said $1.2 million in repairs are necessary in order to keep the pool open. The work will include a new roof and replacement of 24 columns that support the roof. “We plan on putting a second roof (scaffolding) under the current roof to catch any falling debris and we’re not sure at this time what will happen with the columns,” Garcia said. The closure of the Plunge and the resulting court-appointed receivership created another chapter of drama for the city involving the historic pool facility. Lochtefeld’s lease feud was triggered after the city increased Lochtefeld’s rent by about 700 percent. Lochtefeld, who had been paying $70,000 annually since signing his lease agreement with the city in 2002, had run out of rent credits and became subject to new terms of $480,000 annually. Lochtefeld’s inability to pay caused the city to file a default notice and Lochtefeld’s company, Wave House Belmont Park LLC, was forced to file for bankruptcy in November of 2010. Belmont Park was turned over to the East West Bank, which has now turned over control of the facility to Kenneth A. Krasne, a court-appointed receiver. City officials repeatedly said during the financial feud that Lochtefeld signed the 2002 lease with an understanding of the higher lease rate later, and maintained he was trying to change the terms after the fact. Lochtefeld, in turn, maintained the city’s demand was unreasonable and that it rejected his vision plans years ago for redevelopment and enhancement. The Plunge originally opened in May 1925 as part of the original Mission Beach Amusement Center, which was opened on July 4 that year by former San Diego businessman John D. Spreckels. Spreckels hoped the amusement park would draw tourists and eventually promote real estate sales in the vacant Mission Beach area. The Plunge was a novelty at the time as an indoor, saltwater pool. The park also included a wooden roller coaster known as the “Giant Dipper.” The amusement park, which became known later as Belmont Park, fell into disrepair by the 1970s and was forced to close in 1976 until the efforts of the grassroots “Save the Coaster Committee” helped reopen the coaster on Aug. 11, 1990. The roller coaster was added to the National Historic Landmarks in 1987. Throughout that time, the Plunge remained open. The Plunge and the roller coaster are the only original featured attractions of the Mission Beach Amusement Center. Lochtefeld, a local, bought the leases for Belmont Park and the Plunge before developing the Wave House Athletic Club, Wave House restaurant and the unique wave machine for water-sports adventurers.