Since You Asked: Plans for old theater, hotel?

Q: What is the status of the vacant Hotel Marysville and the State Theater on E Street in Marysville? I notice all the stores next to the State Theater on the east side are also vacant. Are there any plans for those buildings?

A: The short answer is no.

There is nothing going on with either the Hotel Marysville or the State Theater. And there's nothing in the works, either.

Hope for the historically significant eyesores is still possible, theoretically, but after years of wrangling, delays and false starts, nobody is holding their breath.

"Essentially, they're both permanently closed," said Dave Lamon, Marysville's director of city services.

Hotel owner Lance Robbins still wants to turn a project around in the future, but said it would be "a market-driven decision."

"We have not walked away from it and have continued to invest in it," Robbins said in a recent interview. "But, the Yuba market won't support another hotel, and I'd need to reassess if an apartment complex would be viable. But the big problem right now is that nobody's really making loans in this economy."

And with the recent elimination of redevelopment agencies, it's going to be even more difficult to kick-start any potential project.

Robbins said he plans to re-examine the issue sometime next month, but he's not making any promises.

As for the theater, if the owners have any plans, they haven't let anybody else in on the secret. Multiple attempts to reach George I. Benny and Eva Hollo were fruitless.

Lamon said it's been at least two years since the city has had any contact with anyone connected to the darkened theater.

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Q: There's a gas station south of Nicolaus on Highway 99 that has been completely remodeled but hasn't reopened yet. I'm curious because it's the only gas station/store between south Yuba City and Sacramento on my commute route, so I need that sucker to open. When will it be open for business?

A: Store owner Chris Gill hopes to begin pumping gas sometime in the next 30 days.

An exact date has not been set because the owners are still waiting for approval of several state permits to operate.

The former Chevron station has undergone a complete makeover, and work on the newly renovated Express Mart has been completed.

"Now, we're just waiting for some licensing to come back from the state," Gill said.

Significant underground contamination from the previous station took the developers more than a year to clean up.

"That's really what's been holding us up, but we're just about ready to go now," Gill said.

In addition to fuel-ups, the store also plans to offer typical convenience-store fare of coffee, soda pop and fast food.

Since You Asked is published on Mondays. Send questions to reporter Rob Parsons at the Appeal-Democrat, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive, Marysville, CA 95901, email him at rparsons@appealdemocrat or call 749-4785.