Casa Romantica in San Clemente to partially reopen weeks after devastating landslide damage

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (KABC) -- Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens will partially reopen on Memorial Day weekend as the historic landmark tries to get back on its feet after a landslide last month took part of the facility's ocean terrace and bluff.

This video is from a previous story on this topic.

"The City of San Clemente has identified the locations on the estate that are safe from the damage caused by the landslide and present no danger to the staff or public. We believe that opening our doors, even partially, brings us one step closer to rejuvenating the spirit of Casa Romantica," said Amy Behrens, the executive director of Casa Romantica. "The soft opening on Friday will allow us to share progress of the grounds and highlight the un-damaged spaces with our cherished visitors. The grand opening celebration on Saturday will be a momentous occasion symbolizing the strength and resilience of Casa Romantica."

The center's management stressed that the facility is still facing an unprecedented economic hardship after the landslide. The Casa Romantica aims to raise $250,000 by June 30 in order to make the necessary repairs and stay financially afloat.

"We have thousands and thousands of people of all ages who come here every year to learn about the history of San Clemente and Southern California and to enjoy the beauty of our gardens," said Behrens. "We're looking at just in this first month alone a $250,000 loss, which is significant for a smaller nonprofit organization like ours."

To achieve their fundraising goal, the Casa Romantica has launched the "Building Hope, Preserving History" fundraising campaign, which offers mementos for different donor levels.

San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan said work to fix the problem has already begun.

"The structure itself seems to be in solid footing right now," he said. "The only danger is that the landslide continues to creep up closer and closer to the building."

Duncan said crews are trying to stop the slope from sliding.

"We're going to press a lot of this dirt back up into the hillside to stabilize this terrace area that has fallen down the hill of course," he said.

In order for the heavy machinery to access the affected area, Duncan said Casa Romantica's amphitheater had to be demolished and a road had to be carved through its garden.

The mayor said they're sacrifices that need to be made to get the property back to what it was.

"It's going to look different back here but I want to see a terrace back here again," said Duncan. "I want to be able to have functions in the rear of the building where we see our historic municipal pier and we get to gather and celebrate San Clemente."

The Casa Romantica will have a soft reopening for the general public on May 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by an official grand opening the next day that will feature a concert and ribbon-cutting ceremony.