A public parking structure, three mixed-use, residential or office building developments and several other improvements are now officially on the table for the “Fox Block,” the properties surrounding the historic Fox Theatre in Fullerton.

After a year of uncertainty and several plans put forth, Fullerton leaders decided late last year to pursue the plan with developer Pelican Communities that uses three city-owned parking lots for development: the surface parking lot east of Angelo’s and Vinci’s Ristorante that fronts Ellis Place and two other nearby parking lots.

The city will sell two of the city-owned parking lots for development. Proposal for the lots include either a multi-story office building or a two-story mixed-use retail and office building adjacent to Chapman Avenue, in addition to a two-story, courtyard-style residential development along Pomona Avenue and a two- to three-story mixed-use development in another nearby parking lot.

The city would retain ownership of the third lot along Ellis Place where an estimated $10 million parking structure would be built. While the minimum for the structure will be 200 spaces, the city is trying to get closer to 300 to address the area’s parking needs. It would replace a surface lot that has 115 spaces – the two other lots to be sold have 32 and 61 spaces.

About $6.2 million available from former redevelopment funds will help pay for much of the parking structure, but Fullerton Planning Manager Matt Foulkes said city officials are unsure where the rest of the money will come from.

“It’s not hard math to find that we’re short $2, $3 or $4 million depending on the total construction costs,” Foulkes said. “That’s really what we’re working on right now, is trying to brainstorm and look for ways to make up that funding gap. We don’t have any solid answers right now.”

Foulkes said the sale of the two city parking lots could make up some of the gap, but it would not be the full amount. The properties have not been appraised.

With the plan receiving the council’s blessing 3-2 – councilmen Greg Sebourn and Bruce Whitaker opposed – city staffers are now in the early stages of preparing contracts for the project with Pelican Communities. This step will be completed in the spring or the early summer; the full project is expected to three to five years to complete.