A Norco man who wants to move an Old West village to Norco from Colton said he is forging ahead with his plans even though many residents oppose the idea.

Movieland Frontier Town was closed last summer after operating for more than 25 years off Interstate 10 in Colton. The once-thriving attraction now is a series of vacant Western-themed storefronts, some marred by vandalism.

Gary Konrady has proposed restoring the buildings and moving them to Sixth Street in Norco. Although he does not own the buildings, he has proposed buying them or having them donated. Konrady, a truck driver, said he has lined up several potential investors for the project.

His plans to locate Frontier Town on a hill off Sixth Street near Ingalls Park drew sharp criticism from more than a dozen nearby residents at a public meeting in December at Nellie Weaver Hall. The residents expressed concern about additional traffic in the area and the lack of parking.

Konrady said he continues to look at sites on Sixth Street, including one that seems fairly promising. He declined to pinpoint the location, saying it was under discussion with the owner.

"It's still alive," he said. "I have to play politics, make sure everybody's happy."

Konrady said he envisions a place where residents would come on horseback or on foot to shop and patronize sit-down restaurants.

City officials say Konrady's project could boost efforts to revitalize the Old Town Norco section of Sixth Street. The Frontier Town concept blends well with the Old West theme on Sixth Street, said Brian Oulman, city economic development director.

"I've encouraged him to keep it on Sixth Street proper if he could," Oulman said.

The owners of Movieland Frontier Town, Harry Vickers and Jan Snow Vickers, are hoping to move or demolish the village to make way for an expansion of their car dealership, L.J. Snow Ford. Jan Snow Vickers said she has not listed a price for the buildings, and no one other than Konrady has approached her about buying them.

Vickers said she has not set a time line for removing Frontier Town or expanding the dealership.

"We're looking at different things," she said.

In its heyday, Movieland Frontier Town was a cluster of restaurants and stores built to resemble an Old West movie set. There was an ice cream parlor, a blacksmith and movie memorabilia.

Business declined during the 1990s, and the last two tenants moved out in May 2000.

Vickers likened Movieland Frontier Town to the original Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park and said it could succeed in Norco if well-maintained. Although the buildings have been vandalized, the damage is minor, she said.