Historic Berkeley Theater Redevelopment Faces Setback

The proposed redevelopment of a century-old theater in Berkeley is dead in the water after the developer got cold feet.

Gilbane Development, the Rhode Island-based firm that was set to handle the reimagining of the 111-year-old California Theatre, has pulled out of the project, The Mercury News reported. The California Theater Consortium, a coalition of groups led by the nonprofit Korsa Musical Theater, shared the news of the theater’s fate.

“Without [Gilbane’s] support, we are no longer able to move forward with the development,” a statement on the consortium’s website said. While the circumstances have put the kibosh on the California Theatre redevelopment, the group is still looking to create a hub for the performing arts in the East Bay city.

“While this project has come to a close, the mission of the California Theater Consortium is far from over. The need for a permanent, affordable home for Berkeley’s performing arts community remains urgent, and we are actively pursuing new pathways and partnerships to make that vision a reality,” the group said. Representatives for Gilbane did not return requests for comment from The Mercury News.

Plans called to demolish nearly every part of the California Theatre, at 2113 Kittredge Street, except for its historic facade and marquee. In its place, developers were to build a new 24,273-square-foot live performance space as well as 211 housing units, including 22 at affordable rates.

California Theatre, opened in 1914, shuttered in 2021 after more than a century in operation. The redevelopment plan, first submitted the following year, was to breathe new life into the venue and create a space that could accommodate both live performances and movies with a roll-down theater screen, orchestra pit and other amenities.

Other aging theaters in Berkeley will soon vanish.

The United Artists Theater, built in 1932, closed in 2023 and is now slated for demolition and redevelopment into a 227-unit mixed-use project with a ground-floor cafe despite its listing on the California Register of Historical Resources, according to The Mercury News.

A block away from the California Theatre, Shattuck Cinemas at 2065 Kittredge Street has already been demolished to make way for an eight-story, 188-unit apartment building.

Across the Bay, another historic theater dating back more than 110 years is headed for new life.

Tech investor Neil Mehta bought San Francisco’s Clay Theatre with plans to begin renovation later this year. That venue will retain its status solely as an arts space, rather than a new mixed-use project.

— Chris Malone Méndez