South Coast Cinema, the downtown movie theater in Laguna Beach where film fans used to enjoy first-run releases, may reopen as early as April showing vintage and art-house films, a theater spokesperson said this week.
“We’re hoping to open as soon as we can, but nothing’s signed yet,” said Chris Leonard, a representative for the theater’s owner, Leslie Blumberg of New York. The theater-operator has yet to finalize the lease, said Leonard, who declined to identify the prospective tenant beyond saying it is a local business operator.
The genre will be temporary as Blumberg is still looking for a luxury theater company to buy the 1922 movie house, Leonard said. The longtime owner is seeking a tenant willing to commit to remodeling the property with high-end amenities, including dinner and beverage service, he said. The listing price at 160 S. Coast Highway is $14.2 million, according to Brad Wiseman from Pinnacle Estate Properties in Calabasas.
“It’s the price the owner desires,” said Wiseman, who specializes in owning and leasing theater properties.
Sam Goldstein, owner of another formerly rundown historic downtown structure that he remodeled, remarked this week that the price on the theater was too high to attract serious attention.
Wiseman claims otherwise. “Needless to say, there are offers and extreme interest,” said Wiseman. “There’s nothing similar (on the market) because the location of this property is quite landmark-like.”
The property is not limited to use as a theater, said Wiseman, who said he is marketing the property to major theater operators. “We’re talking to other potential users as well,” he said, “which could include an upscale restaurant with rooftop dining for that magnificent ocean view. It may be difficult for a theater operator to pay that kind of rent to justify the price.”
As long as the building keeps its historic character it can be repurposed to anything, said Ann Larson, assistant community development director. “It’s called adaptive reuse,” she said. Developers are required to meet federal requirements for refurbishing historic structures, she added.
The theater has been vacant for six months and the interim use will at least bring in some money, he said. Blumberg also owns the two retail spaces on either side of the theater’s entrance, which have also been vacant. Owners of a French pastry shop have signed a lease for the space formerly occupied by Juice and Shakes and have applied for a permit, said Larson. In January, elected officials rejected a permit by a gelato parlor for one the spaces.
It’s a good idea, there are enough locals who will support it, now that it’s been down for a while and certain people miss it, if it comes back, there should be a nice turn out. 🙂
It would be SO wonderful, and appropriately responsible to save this historic building and to refurbish back to its original splendor! I hear the main theater space is currently divided into two smaller spaces with a rather insensitive partition wall right down the center…? How wonderful it would be to remove that wall, and to bring the space back to its original integrity!? I certainly hope that the love and awareness of Ms. Leslie Blumberg lies somewhat with the importance of this building’s presence across from Main Beach and on Pacific Coast Hiway!? Would be GREAT if a responsible party would do the same for the Laguna Beach Hotel!?
All locals should be pleased. But, turning it into a luxury theatre or yet another high-end restaurant will likely be patronized mostly by the tourists. Most locals want a regular movie theatre — plenty of restaurants nearby. We just lost our Albertsons to Gelsons. Enough with the up-scaling already!
Don’t make it upscale, make it friendly, comfortable and locals oriented! Show classics, show art films and show blockbusters, ignore the shite! If it was me running it, I’d provide snacks , food and drinks at reasonable prices , workout a deal with local restaurants to deliver.
I love this theater-it has so much character…where can you find a balcony seating anywhere in OC. The problem was though many say they miss it, they did not in large part patronize it…I remember seeing “FURY” there and there were about 30 people there…come on people put your $ where your mouth is and see a movie with a large coke and popcorn…
Use it or lose it…for good