A development proposal threatens to destroy the magnificent United Artists Theatre, a paragon of Art Deco architecture in the heart of downtown Berkeley, CA, that was built under the auspices of movie icons Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. 

Operating from 1932 until February 2023, the UA Berkeley is a grand 1,800-seat theater resplendent with lavish period decor that has unfortunately been disguised as a multiplex for the past 50 years. 

The UA Berkeley was built as an opulent vaudeville theater with a stage, dressing rooms, a green room, and an orchestra pit. When it opened to enthusiastic crowds, a local newspaper called it the “the greatest theatrical event in the history of Berkeley.” 

A restored UA Berkeley doesn't have to remain a movie theater. It has the potential to be reborn as a venue for live music, theater, dance, musicals, speaking events, and more -- on par with the Paramount in Oakland -- if it is not torn down first!

Panoramic Interests, a San Francisco-based real estate developer, has filed an application with the city of Berkeley to demolish the theater (except facade and part of lobby) to build a 17-story tower of residential units, only a tiny fraction of which would be deemed affordable. A state law (SB 330) has the proposal on a fast track. Building more housing is undoubtedly of vital importance, but not at the cost of a theater of such immense architectural and cultural value.

Please join Save the UA Berkeley in calling on city leaders to not make a mistake they would regret and preserve this theater in its entirety! Also, the building should be designated a city landmark, even if that itself won't stop the development project. 

Before voting on the development proposal, city leaders must tour the building and inspect behind the multiplex retrofits to see long-hidden features such as the original gilded ceiling, the proscenium arch, the organ grills and much more. City leaders must not decide the fate of this building without knowing the full extent of what could be lost. 

A restored UA theater could be a regional destination that economically invigorates the downtown. Cities benefit from an environment rich in cultural and artistic offerings—as well as irreplaceable historic architecture that connects the future with the past.

Please sign our petition and join us at savetheuaberkeley.org. (Please note: contributions solicited with your signature do not go to Save the UA Berkeley. They go to Change.org, which provides the platform for the petition.)

Thank you. 

SAVE THE UA BERKELEY 

 

Photo credit: Margaret Herrick Library