Bay Area's historic Park Theater set for $12 million revival

San Francisco Chronicle​

17 hours ago

Adam Winig remembers his first-ever theatrical experience. It was at the Park Theater in Lafayette, circa 1978.
'It was 'Superman,'' Winig said, smiling as he recalled the superhero movie that introduced the world to Christopher Reeve. 'My mom brought the three of us and my little brother started crying at the explosion scene.'
The Park is but a distant memory for many East Bay moviegoers, having closed in 2005. But the Art Deco-inspired theater, which first opened in 1941 with the Abbott & Costello comedy 'Hold That Ghost,' is not yet ready for the afterlife.
The Park Theater Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reviving the venue, has begun renovating the facility and hopes to reopen it as a theater and community space next year. Winig, a partner at Arcsine, an Oakland architecture firm, is in charge of the redesign of his hometown theater.
During a Chronicle visit earlier this month, fences surrounded the front entrance of the building at 3519 Golden Gate Way and the interior teardown process was well underway. Farrell said the project passed Lafayette's planning and design review 'with flying colors,' but construction can't begin until Contra Costa County issues a building permit, which is expected to happen in August.
'We're pursuing a plan to renovate it into a sustainable, cultural resource for everyone,' said Tracey Farrell, who is on the PTT's board of directors. 'We want there to be multi-generational programming and live music as well as film, because there's no real place that really combines the two in our area.'
Board president and fundraising chair Kathy Bowles, who, like Farrell, is a resident of Lafayette for four decades, emphasized that the group has been working with the city and sought community input into what kind of venue the Park could be.
'The library and the chamber (of commerce) and the city have been big partners all the way along,' Bowles said. ' They were part of the interview process to secure our operator and our architect, so they've been involved since the very beginning. It's important because the community has really embraced what we're doing here.'
The nonprofit, formed in 2019, decided to move ahead with the renovation even though fundraising efforts, which began in 2021, are ongoing. The project has a $12 million budget, which included a $3 million purchase of the building. When the trust reached the $10.5 million mark earlier this year, the six-member board decided to begin work.
The new Park is to include two screens, a community center, a restaurant and rooftop bar. The plush velvet seats will be removable to accommodate live events, including music performances. While the interior will be mostly brand new, some of the original lighting, such as the teardrop chandeliers in the lobby, are being restored and the exterior will keep the original marquee and box office. The building's exterior will also be lengthened by 22 feet.
CinemaSF's Adam Bergeron and Jaimi Holker have agreed to handle both live music and film programming, with theaters able to project in digital, 35mm and 16mm film formats. Bergeron, who with Holker operates the Balboa, Vogue and 4 Star theaters in San Francisco, said that each of their theaters have 'their own unique personality,' and he is eager to see what the Lafayette moviegoing community will embrace.
'There's always going to be a little bit of trial and error to see what sticks,' Bergeron said. 'There'll be first-run programming, but there'll be a healthy repertory and indie arthouse slate as well.'
Construction is expected to take 10-12 months, with a grand opening targeted for fall 2026.
'The biggest challenge was trying to find new, modern materials, also be sustainable, but still stay true to an aesthetic that was similar to what a lot of people in this community still remember,' Winig said. 'So our color palette is going to feel familiar, and we're staying with carpet in the lobby. Going from a one-theater movie theater, to a two-theater movie theater plus a community room, plus a kitchen and concession (stand) is a big challenge.'
Farrell said she is looking forward to the Park Theater being once again a part of her life.
'I used to bring my kids here, date night, meet friends here, see a movie and then go down for a beer and it was great,' Farrell said. 'When the construction fencing went up, it was a real milestone. We felt like, 'Wow, we are really going to make this happen for everybody.''