"That's a good sign," said trapeze star Tito Gaona, who runs a trapeze school on the property. He created the Venice Circus Arts Foundation to save the arena.

"At least it gives us some time," he said, "gives us a chance to succeed."

He's been busy lately contacting reality shows to see if they'd be interested in a make-over of the arena, complete with circus clowns in costume to paint and bring the building back to its former glory.

Council members agreed on March 23 to postpone demoltion plans indefinitely until they see whether the Save The Arena effort gains traction.

the decision was too late to stop ads that were placed this week to collect demolition bids. City Manager Isaac Turner said he e-mailed Assistant City Manager Nancy Woodley during the council meeting to stop the process, but it was too late.

"The concern is, what signal does it send to the group?" Turner said. "It does not at all diminish any of the efforts they have made."

We are not planning to ignore their interests," Mayor Ed Martin said.

Council discussed whether to continue collecting demolition bids, but in the end agreed to stop the process entirely.

Gaona's group plans to seek historic site designation for the old Circus Arena in Venice. It has hel two organizational meetings in the past month, one of which was attended by council members Ernie Zavodnyik and Emilio Carlesimo, and one attended by Council Member it McKeon.

the group plans to make its case before city council at its April meeting.

Coucil made the decision to tear down the buildings at its Jan. 31 strategic planning workshop, calling it a blight on the city. For years city leaders hoped to find a developer willing to assume those costs, but none ever came forward.

The building was the first-of-its-kind indoor circus arena when it became the winter home for the Greatest Show on Earth in 1962. The circus left in 1992, and the building, which has had a couple of tenants since then, has fallen into disrepair.

Gaona said he grew up in the building, which was used to introduce new acts and hone existing ones.

"I was always a part of it," he said. "In the circus you work with and see kids mostly. When I did my trapeze in the little arena in Venice, all I would see was glass. I never saw so many senior citizens. I thought, this is great. It wqas such a thrill to watch the senior citizens watching the show."

ggiles@venicegondolier.com

By Greg Giles
News Editor
Reprinted with permission.