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A longtime neighbor and local historian stood guard after an iconic San Francisco movie theater sign was torn down – fearing it might be stolen and not restored and replaced as planned.
The 1920s sign that previously posted historic Alexandria was removed on Friday for urgent public safety reasons.
Richmond-based historian Woody LaBounty took to real-time Twitter to express his concern about the theater’s now-dilapidated facade, having been torn down.
He visited three times over the weekend for about an hour each, sharing photos and updates with other concerned neighbors.
As he watched the parade, LaBounty said passers-by expressed their anger at the situation. “We had a small crowd here that kind of mourned her loss.”
The city’s building control board said Friday the sign would remain. It has since been sawn into several pieces for removal and will be gathering dust behind a theater gate from Monday.
Pieces of the recently removed sword mark of the historic theater of Alexandria | Morgan Ellis/The Standard
CONTINUE READING: Historic San Francisco movie theater sign torn down
Having lived in the city his entire life, LaBounty had fond memories of the theater in its heyday. And he wasn’t the only one – several passers-by chimed in as we both talked outside the door to spread the love.
“This was the iconic image of downtown Richmond District,” said LaBounty. “It is a historical building. […] It must not decay, crumble and be covered with graffiti.”
“It was the right place, big,” said Phil Torres, who has lived in San Francisco most of his life.
The Geary Boulevard Theater has been vacant since it closed in 2004 and the property has changed hands several times over the years. In September, representatives of the theater’s former property owner, TimeSpace Group, sent a letter to city officials saying they hoped to convert the property into dozens of new homes.
A crane remains outside of Alexandria’s historic theater after its sign was removed on January 23, 2023. | Morgan Ellis/The Standard
TimeSpace has built 43 luxury condos on the site’s former parking lot, according to its website. Five of the units were registered at below-market prices.
City officials said Friday the property was under new ownership but gave no further details. The standard approached the new owners through the city’s building control board.
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