Jeffrey Stanton Venice of America: 'Coney Island of the Pacific,' Donahue Publishing: Los Angeles, CA, 1987, 176 pp., 1967, 1965, 1964, 1963, 1960s, 1959, 1958, 1956
"Santa Monica was ready to pull his park license at a meeting on March 16, 1967 when Roberts showed up at the last minute with a fist full of policies proving that the park was covered with $1.5 million in insurance. The city was ready to close the park when they got a cancellation notice from his insurance company.
"The Urban Redevelopment board was concerned that his park with its peeling paint and boarded up restaurants along Ocean Front Walk would scare away prospective apartment tenants. Although they would have liked to see the park closed, and nearly accomplished it during construction, they publicly wished Roberts well.
"Roberts, despite years of lagging attendance and piles of long overdue bills, expected things to improve. He was negotiating a loan of $1,600,000 from the Teamsters. In addition, urban redevelopment left him with a brand new access street, ample parking and a bus stop. The Cheetah, a mod rock and roll club planned to open in the Aragon Ballroom.
"Finally at the end of the 1967 season, P.O.P.'s creditors took action and forced the park into involuntary bankruptcy. Santa Monica precipitated the action when they filed suit to take control of the property because Roberts owed them $17,000 in back rent since 1965. The park closed on October 6, 1967."