"When I felt the earthquake on Oct. 17, 1989, I saw on the horizon a great cloud of smoke rising from downtown Santa Cruz," writes columnist Ross Eric Gibson. "Yet it wasn't fire, but dust from crumbling masonry buildings. Much of the downtown lay in ruins, and hasty demolitions were made of some of our best landmarks. The Del Mar was closed, and based on its poor maintenance, and statements from United Artists that the building was obsolete, it was feared to be next for demolition."