Commission Grants Permit for Laguna Playhouse Theater

The Laguna Playhouse’s plan to lease a three-story, 17,000-square-foot building in downtown Laguna Beach has been approved by the city.

A conditional-use permit to allow a theater operation in the vacant General Telephone Co. office at 480 Mermaid St. was approved Wednesday night by the city Planning Commission.

Lease negotiations are still under way, and the costs of adapting the space for use as a theater are being determined, Playhouse general manager Jody Johnston Davidson said. Approval is still needed from the California Coastal Commission. But if all goes well, Davidson said, plays could be presented in the building this fall.