Trending
1st St. Properties enters and theater exits Westlake stage left
A 104-unit resi complex will replace the historic theater company’s location
It’s curtains for The Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Westlake.
The theater company will exit its historic location by December, to make way for a 104-unit mixed-use development, according to Curbed.
Developer Eli Elimelech’s 1st Street Properties will build the mixed-use project. The complex was first planned in 2014, after Elimelech bought the property at 1345 W. First Street for $1.3 million.
The theater was named a Historic Cultural Monument in 2009, which acknowledges its cultural significance. The building is expected to be demolished to make way for the new construction, according to Curbed.
According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, the new development “will surround and form a bridge over the theatre building. The theatre will be truncated and converted into a residential lobby, with interpretive displays exploring the history of the site. The puppet studio and party room will be repurposed as a common area for residents.”
Last year, the Cultural Heritage Commission worked out a deal with the Elimelech and theater management to reopen.
the theater in the new mixed-use space by 2020. But theater management has since decided to move elsewhere.
The theater will announce its new home at the end of November, when a final show is expected. [Curbed] – Dennis Lynch