San Francisco

Supervisors vote on future of San Francisco's Castro Theater

The vote means nearly everything inside the Castro Theater should now be historically preserved, including chandeliers, moldings and everything else -- except the seats.

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For about a year, a group of community activists have squared off against the new operators of San Francisco's iconic Castro Theater.

They want the city to designate the interior of the theater, including the seating, as a historic site. But that would make it impossible for the new operators to make changes that would allow the site to host concerts as well.

On Tuesday, the city supervisors waded into the debate, voting to preserve the interior of the Castro Theater as a historic site. But they also approved a last-minute amendment to the designation, which removed language about the seating.

For 101 years, the theater has endured earthquakes and pandemics.

It has been a rallying point for countless protests, film screenings and live performances.

It's one of the city's last, large, old-time movie palaces.

But most people these days stream movies at home -- one of the reasons why the Castro is in trouble, according to Supervisor Ahsha Safai.

“Unless we're talking about the opening night of 'The Matrix' or some opening night of a ‘Star Wars’ film, you're not able to fill that theater,” said Safai.

The latest proposal by Berkeley-based Another Planet Entertainment (APE), involves removing the floor seating and installing a series of levels leading to the stage.

That would allow for standing-room-only space for concerts.

But APE also proposes adding mechanized steps that can extend so that cinema style seating can also be brought in for film and certain live entertainment events -- something critics, and some preservationists, are trying to block.         

Tuesday’s amendment that would allow for changes was proposed by Castro District Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who says neighborhood merchant groups support the new operator's plans.

“I think that they are concerned about seeing another vacant property in the neighborhood. And don't actually think the APE project is a bad one,” he said. “And in some cases, think it's a very, very good one.”

President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Aaron Peskin, opposed the amendment.

He supports preserving fixed seating in the theater and quoted former Castro Supervisor Harvey Milk.

“Too often we have taken down landmarks long before we realized that they would be landmarks,” he said.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, a small group of demonstrators also voiced their opposition to removing the Castro's fixed seating.

“If they remove the seats and they flatten the orchestra, and then it is a failure as a music nightclub, then the interior has been destroyed,” said Michael Patrelis of Friends and Allies of the Castro Theater.

By a 6-4 vote, the supervisors approved Mandelman's amendment which would allow Another Planet to make seating changes.

The vote means nearly everything inside the Castro Theater should now be historically preserved, including chandeliers, moldings and everything else, except the seats.

The issue, however, is far from over.

This now needs to go to two more commission meetings and possibly another board of supervisors vote before Another Planet’s plans are approved and construction can begin.

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