Owners of Magruder dealership to demolish vacant buildings

Palm Springs City Attorney Doug Holland, has confirmed that the owners of the vacant Magruder car dealership in Palm Springs has pulled a demolition permit with the city to tear down the buildings on the site.

According to Holland the owners of the property pulled the permit on Thursday and have slated mid-November to begin demolition of the vacant buildings on the property.

The City filed a lawsuit with Riverside County asking a judge to force the owners to pay for the costs associated with tearing the buildings down. The dealership, located on the corner of South Palm Canyon and Mesquite Avenue, has been vacant for years, and is a known hangout for the homeless upsetting many residents who live near the property.

The city had discussed paying for the demolition until they put the project out for bids, and the lowest bid came in over 300-thousand dollars. The property is owned by the heirs of the late Leonard Saubel, Sr.

Holland says the city will withdraw their court motion, which has not been acted on yet, once the property is demolished. He believes the demolition will begin around November 17th.

KESQ talked with local business owners who work next to the vacant dealership.

“I’m glad to see it’s going because it is full of homeless people, they are fighting here with all kinds of that nonsense going on,” said Jozsef Posa, owner of Jozsef’s Men’s Hairstyling.

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