Playhouse 7 not included in developer’s plans for building overhaul – Pasadena Now

[UPDATED] According to floor plans included in Tuesday’s Design Commission report, cinema space is not included in the renovation of the 25,000-square-foot Playhouse 7 which will convert the cinema into a multi-tenant commercial building. .

Laemmle Theaters announced in February the sale of its 22,897 square foot Pasadena location on Colorado Boulevard near El Molino Avenue in trendy Playhouse Village to GD Realty Group of Los Angeles, owner and developer of commercial real estate. urban in prime Southern California locations.

According to a statement released at the time of the announcement, the sale also included a sale-leaseback that would allow the theater to continue operating.

The 22,897 square foot Laemmle Playhouse 7 at Laemmle Theater is located at 673 E. Colorado Blvd.

“The proposed project does not include the conservation of the use of the theater, ”said City Manager Steve Mermell. Pasadena now Monday.

Pasadena now contacted the Laemmle family for an answer.

According to correspondence sent to the city regarding the proposal, at least one resident has been told that the theater will close next year.

“When I arrived at the Laemmle Playhouse-7 theater yesterday, I found a notice posted outside announcing today’s Design Commission hearing regarding the proposal to approve a ‘… a interior remodeling to create a multi-tenant building … “When I asked a member of the Laemmle staff about this, I was told that the proposed plan would cause the cinema to close in early 2022,” Ron Streicher wrote. “I find this proposal quite scary. Due to the current “pandemic” situation, we have lost one great cinema in the Pasadena area, and now we are on the verge of losing the other. The Laemmle Theater is a treasure the city of Pasadena cannot afford to lose.

At the time of the sale, it was reported that the movie chain, like many businesses during the pandemic-induced shutdown, had suffered financially and was looking to “increase its cash flow in order to stay in business.”

The Laemmle Theater reopened last April after state health orders forced theaters to close for a full year to help control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But despite the restrictions, which caused the cinema to shut down temporarily, it has remained afloat by switching to online operations with its Laemmle virtual cinema.

Founded in 1938 by Kurt and Max Laemmle, nephews of legendary Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle, the company is currently run by Robert Laemmle and his son, Greg Laemmle. The movie theater chain has served over one million viewers each year from seven locations in the greater Los Angeles area.

The channel has a long relationship with Pasadena that dates back almost 60 years.

In 1964, the Laemmle chain opened the Esquire Theater on Colorado Boulevard near San Gabriel Boulevard. The chain also operated The Colorado, which was located one block west of there on Colorado Boulevard near Vinedo Avenue, and opened Laemmle Playhouse 7 on Colorado Boulevard in 1999. Esquire and The Colorado theaters have were closed the following year.

The Design Commission should consider review of the design of the facade redevelopment project and additions to convert the theater into a contemporary style multi-tenant commercial building.

The redevelopment will transform the building into offices, retail stores and restaurants.

The project also includes the demolition of part of the existing building to create a central courtyard, which is expected to be incorporated with a central fountain, seating area and shading devices.

There is no onsite parking offered for the project.

During the preliminary consultation for the design of the project, the commissioners indicated that the yard should include plantings, furnishings and on-site lighting, among other things, to make it a comfortable space for social interaction.

They also advised applicants to consider embedding all ground floor entrances, especially those facing the courtyard, in order to provide additional sheltered courtyard space for the building’s private interior spaces.

In addition to the Laemmle Theater conversion project, GD Real Estate Group is also currently involved in the construction of a 40-unit residential building, one block north of Colorado Boulevard, near the cinema building.

The design committee is scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. and can be viewed at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82170973491

Editor-in-chief André Coleman contributed to this story.