 |
|
GOLDEN GATE THEATRE
The Regional Planning Commission of Los Angeles County certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Golden Gate Theatre on February 17, 2010. The Conservancy and several members of the public spoke at the hearing. Although our testimony noted that the proposed conversion into a drugstore use is not ideal, we emphasized that it is preferable to leaving the theatre vacant and deteriorating for the foreseeable future. The modified project is more sensitive than the original proposal, but the Conservancy remains concerned about the potential for damage to the historic theatre. Accordingly, we asked the commission to impose specific conditions to ensure maximum retention of historic fabric, including an explicit requirement to repair the auditorium ceiling and leave it exposed to the public. The commission continued the public hearing until March 10, at which time it is expected to approve the project subject to a list of conditions proposed by staff.
Built in 1927 at the prominent corner of Whittier and Atlantic Boulevards in unincorporated East Los Angeles, the Golden Gate Theatre is one of a handful of neighborhood movie palaces remaining in Southern California. The Spanish Churrigueresque-style theatre was designed by William and Clifford Balch, who also participated in the design of the El Rey Theatre on Wilshire Boulevard and the Fox Theatre in Pomona. The Vega Building, a historic retail building that once surrounded the theatre, suffered damage from the 1987 Whittier Earthquake and was demolished in the early 1990s. The theatre has sat vacant for nearly two decades.
In March 2009, the County released the Draft EIR for a proposal to convert the theatre into a retail (chain) pharmacy. The original plan would have left the theatre interior virtually unrecognizable by removing or covering up architectural features, including removing the balcony. The Conservancy submitted a letter on the Draft EIR stating our position that any alterations should meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, be reversible, and maintain the theatre's listing in the National Register of Historic Places. We also requested thorough consideration of alternative uses more compatible with the theatre's historic function, as desired by many in the community. At the request of the County Planning Commission, the Conservancy provided several examples of historic movie theatres that have been sensitively converted for retail use. We subsequently met with the building's owner, Charles Company, and their preservation architect to discuss modifications to the original plan.
In response to concerns raised by the Conservancy, the State Office of Historic Preservation, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation, and community residents (among others), the project has been substantially modified to leave more of the historic theatre interior intact and visible. The modified plan would retain the balcony and the existing auditorium space, although the original ceiling could still be covered. The proscenium arch and the two curved walls flanking it would be retained and remain visible, as would the edge of the balcony. The raked auditorium floor would be leveled in a way that is reversible. The upper balcony would be enclosed with a reversible wall, as would the space behind the proscenium arch. In the lobby, the clamshell concession stand would be removed and stored on site in order to create an open line of sight into the space; the curved staircase would be demolished up to and including the first landing, but would be properly documented to allow for future reconstruction.
While the Final EIR concludes that the modified project does not fully meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, the revised plan would retain the theatre’s listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Most importantly, many of the alterations, including leveling the sloped floor, would be reversible, ensuring that the Golden Gate could be returned to theatrical use in the future. The Final EIR describing this project was released on February 2, 2010. The County Planning Commission certified the EIR on February 17, 2010.
Although the modified plan is a significant improvement over the original design, the Conservancy will nonetheless be urging the County Planning Commission to impose additional conditions to ensure that the project is as sensitive as it can be, including a requirement to repair the theatre’s original ceiling and leave it exposed. Although the proposed use as retail space is not ideal, the Conservancy feels that it is strongly preferable to leaving the theatre vacant and deteriorating for the foreseeable future. We appreciate the willingness of the Charles Company to reconfigure its plan to protect the theatre’s most significant features, and we applaud the County Regional Planning Commission for making the building's preservation a priority. We look forward to seeing the long-vacant Golden Gate Theatre once again occupied and accessible to neighborhood residents. |
||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
Wilshire May Company This Streamline Moderne department store with its prominent cylindrical gold tower signals the western entrance of Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile district. The Conservancy swung into action when the May Co. building was threatened with demolition for office towers and a hotel during the early 1990s. After successfully nominating the building for City Historic-Cultural Monument status, the Conservancy worked with County officials to ensure the building's reuse by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Now LACMA West, the May Co. had a splashy reopening in 1999 when it played host to a blockbuster Van Gogh exhibit. Photo courtesy of Julius Shulman |
