SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.—As construction crews moved dirt and rocks with heavy equipment at Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a short line of people formed before the establishment’s May 26 reopening after being closed for repairs since April 27, when a section of the property’s ocean view patio area collapsed from a landslide.
“We are excited to be back open today,” Casa Romantica’s Ginnette Watson, working the front desk, told The Epoch Times.
Those who attended the reopening enjoyed live music and strolled the grounds including a garden, and art gallery inside.
“We are so glad this is back open because you just cannot beat the beautiful views here,” one local couple told The Epoch Times.
The Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a non-profit within the Spanish-style city-owned building, which was completed in 1927 by the founder of the city, Ole Hanson.
Since the landslide, the city has contracted geotechnical consultants who are monitoring ground movements and measuring soil and sand levels in the area.
“Casa Romantica serves as a symbol of perseverance and how the local community comes together in a crisis,” Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley told The Epoch Times.
“My office remains committed to working with local businesses impacted by the closure, and the city of San Clemente to find resources and ensure reimbursements for expenses that occurred during the landslide,” she said.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will provide free admission to veterans on Memorial Day.
Its address is 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente.
