The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has one more vote on the Castro Theatre in order for Another Planet Entertainment to commence with its plan to renovate the historic movie palace.
In June the board voted to remove an amendment that would have landmarked fixed, orchestra-style seating at the Castro Theatre. APE's renovation plans hinge on being able to remove the fixed orchestra seating to make way for seating arrangements that can be moved in and out of the venue.
Following the supervisors' vote, the historic preservation and planning commissions on June 15 both approved a zoning ordinance that allows a conditional use authorization for second floor nighttime entertainment throughout the Castro commercial district.
No one appealed those commission votes, and now the Board of Supervisors will need to weigh in with the proposed ordinance allowing second floor nighttime entertainment throughout the Castro commercial district.
Dan Sider, chief of staff of the city's planning department, confirmed the upcoming vote, which will take place after the supervisors return from their August recess. Sider said that would be the case even if someone had filed an appeal.
"In other words, the project will make another appearance before the Board of Supervisors in the near future regardless of any appeal," Sider told the Bay Area Reporter.
Zahra Hajee, a legislative aide to gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, told the B.A.R. that "we're anticipating it will be brought before the board at some point during the fall post-recess."
On June 13, the last time the theater issue went before the board, it gave 8-3 final approval to an interior landmarking of the theater that wouldn't obstruct APE's plans.
A week prior, at the board's June 6 meeting, Mandelman made a motion to remove the fixed-seating amendment, which passed 6-4, with District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen absent. A subsequent vote on the interior landmarking was approved 9-1 with Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin (D3) casting the dissenting vote.
The imbroglio over the theater began in January 2022, when APE — which runs the Outside Lands music festival in Golden Gate Park and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium downtown — was announced as the new operator of the 101-year-old Castro Theatre.
Some Castro neighborhood organizations, and LGBTQ and film groups — such as the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District and the Castro Theatre Conservancy — formed the Friends of the Castro Theatre Coalition in opposition to the proposed changes.
APE has stated that it will screen films about one-third of the time the theater is open, which has dismayed moviegoers and many others.
APE spokesperson David Perry told the B.A.R. that it's confident the board will approve the ordinance.
"Another Planet is humbled by the support the Castro Theatre project has received so far, from both the public and our city partners, especially our immediate neighbors in the Castro and the LGBTQ communities," Perry stated. "We look forward to approval of this necessary trailing legislation as well."
The cultural district, the conservancy, and Neighbors for a Restored Castro Theatre, a pro-APE group, did not return requests for comment for this report by press time.
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