The project, Muldoon said, “Would ensure that the building retains its place in Berkeley’s architectural history it will also add much-needed housing to the local community.” He said the project would preserve the California’s facade, but did not make the same commitment for its marquee, saying it would “potentially” be retained. Muldoon did not identify the prospective new owner of the building, nor did he describe specific details of the project they would pursue - such as how much housing it would include and whether the development would be built within the existing theater structure or on top of it. The ownership group is looking to sell the California because the outlook for downtown multiplex theaters is “not good,” Muldoon told the landmarks commission, saying the pandemic and rise of streaming services such as Netflix are keeping moviegoers away. None of the theater’s owners have responded to multiple calls and messages from Berkeleyside over the past six months seeking information about plans for the building. The application, which more than 100 people signed a petition to support, seeks to protect about two dozen of the theater’s features - including its blue and gold neon marquee, and elements of its Art Deco facade. Muldoon addressed the commission during a public hearing on an application from the Art Deco Society of California asking the city to declare the theater a landmark. “The fact is, we simply can’t afford to hold on to it.” “The theater has been an integral part of our family’s history, and we too are very sad to see it go,” Muldoon told the Landmarks Preservation Commission at its April 7 meeting. John Muldoon IV, a representative for the theater’s 10-person ownership group, said at a city meeting earlier this month that the family is considering a purchase agreement under which a new owner would “transform” the building by adding housing to the site while also preserving at least some of its distinctive architecture. Patrons responded with a flood of tributes when Landmark announced that the theater, which had been closed since the onset of the pandemic, would not reopen. The California’s future has been unclear since last fall, when its owners - the descendants of the Berkeley businessman who built the theater more than a century ago - declined to renew the lease of longtime operator Landmark Theatres. Preservationists want Berkeley to protect several elements of the California Theatre, including its blue and gold marquee, stepped roofline and Art Deco facade topped with “frozen fountains.” Credit: Nico Savidgeĭevotees of the California Theatre have launched a campaign to protect the downtown Berkeley movie palace while its owners move to sell the building as part of a plan to redevelop the site.
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