Submitted by the City of Lake Elsinore
LAKE ELSINORE — August 11, 2026 — The City of Lake Elsinore is aware of recent statements by the Dream Center regarding its property formerly known as the Ambassador Hotel.
The facts are straightforward: the City’s actions are about public health and safety and the dangerous condition of the property—not the mission of the Dream Center.
The City recognizes the work performed by the Dream Center and other organizations that serve residents in need, but no organization, property owner, or individual can be exempt from laws designed to protect human life.
The Ambassador Hotel Property Has 65 Substandard, Illegal and Dangerous Conditions.
The former Ambassador Hotel has longstanding health and safety violations, including 65 identified substandard, illegal, and dangerous conditions. Those conditions led the building to be red-tagged, meaning it is unsafe to occupy until the hazards are corrected. The City initiated a lawsuit against the former owner to remedy the violations. The Dream Center purchased the property in 2021 with full knowledge of these substandard, illegal, and dangerous conditions and the pending lawsuit.
Before purchasing the property, the Dream Center entered into a Compliance Agreement acknowledging the violations, agreeing to deadlines to correct all violations, and promising to maintain the building in accordance with all laws. As the new owner, the Dream Center agreed to be a party to the lawsuit and agreed that the City can seek court relief if compliance does not occur.
The City Did Not Rush to Demolish the Building.
For nearly five years, the City has worked with the Dream Center in an effort to achieve compliance.
During this period, the City has paused the lawsuit and postponed active enforcement.
Five years later, the Ambassador Hotel building has not been brought into compliance and has further deteriorated. No corrective action has been taken by the Dream Center to cure the substandard, illegal, and dangerous conditions. At this point, continued inaction is no longer an option. Consequently, the City sought court relief consistent with the terms of the Compliance Agreement.
The Court Ordered the City to Immediately Abate the Nuisance Conditions and Demolish the Building.
On July 21, 2026, the Riverside Superior Court issued an Abatement Order finding the Ambassador Hotel building is a public nuisance with unsafe conditions. The Court found that the City complied with all notice requirements and that the Dream Center failed to take corrective action after being given reasonable opportunities. The Court ordered the City to immediately demolish.
As ordered by the Court, the City initiated steps to demolish the building. The first step was to engage a contractor and secure permits for asbestos removal. That work began on August 6 with full knowledge of the Dream Center’s attorney.
On August 7, the Court of Appeal issued a Temporary Stay. In accordance with that Order, all work has stopped pending further action by the Court of Appeal.
Safety Standards Apply to Everyone.
Building, fire, occupancy, property-maintenance and health-and-safety laws exist to prevent tragedy—not respond to it after someone has been injured or killed.
The City cannot knowingly allow dangerous conditions to continue because enforcement is unpopular or because an organization occupying a property performs valued work.
The same safety standards must apply to everyone.
The City’s enforcement action does not prevent development; it addresses the dangerous building that currently exists on the property. If the Temporary Stay is lifted and the building is demolished, the Dream Center remains the owner and may pursue lawful development.
Public Safety Comes First.
The City understands that this matter has generated strong emotions. Those concerns deserve to be heard.
But when City officials know a building presents serious health and safety concerns, they have both a legal and moral responsibility to act.
The City of Lake Elsinore remains willing to work constructively with the Dream Center and other community partners to find solutions that allow valuable services to continue in safe and appropriate locations.
Dream Center, according to their website: DreamCenterle.le. Their Mission Statement says: We have been called to RESTORE & REBUILD the PEOPLE & PROPERTY of Lake Elsinore physically, emotionally, and spiritually.Â
Our Vision
A community of resilient people whose lives have been redeemed by God’s love. Much more than examples of God’s power to restore broken lives… The men, women, and families we help will go on to share the love they’ve received, pass on the hope they have been given, and make transformation possible for others.
Gina Gonzales said the City has partnered and supported the Dream Center, and they have even offered to trade them the building for another property.
The Valley News will report on this issue over the next week as the story unfolds.
