The Friends of 1800

The New Mission Theater

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Regaining its place in San Francisco's vibrant Mission District, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema New Mission survived the threat of demolition and opened its doors December 17, 2015, with a first run of Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Following more than a 12-year hiatus and uncertain future, the theater's return is one welcome, long awaited comeback for San Francisco's cinephiles.

San Franciso's New Mission Theater at 2550 Mission Sreet has been an irreplaceable civic asset, a neighborhood landmark in the Mission, and a reminder of the many movie theaters that once operated on Mission Street. Architecturally, the New Mission Theater is a magnificent work, the equal of the universally beloved Castro Theater in terms of the lavishness of the interior detail in the auditorium. Timothy Pflueger's Art Deco outer lobby is striking, and its "fin" sign a beautiful and rare example for its period. The reuse and reopening of the New Mission Theater as The Alamo Drafthouse at the New Mission is not only a boon to the Mission District, but a benefit for all San Franciscans.

SUMMER 2015

Photos posted in July on the Alamo's website displayed shots of the theater's interior along with with Jacob Zukerman's photos that show the changes. View Alamo Drafthouse Cinema's Flickr photostream. The Alamo's Facebook page has additional updates. San Francisco moviegoers are invited to join the Alamo's Victory loyalty program to be included in the theater's grand opening celebration planned later this year. Per Creative Manager, Mike Keegan: "We've been working tirelessly behind the scenes to prepare for the most epic theater opening to ever hit the Bay Area."

2014

Final building permits approved, Alamo Drafthouse now moves forward with its plans to reopen the historic New Mission Theater as the Alamo Drafthouse at the New Mission in 2015. Per a July 3 update from Alamo's Founder and CEO Tim League:

"The Alamo Drafthouse at the New Mission will have five screens and feature new release movies, independent and classic films and special events. The Alamo Drafthouse at the New Mission will be equipped with Sony 4k Digital, RealD 3D and changeover 35mm projection. In addition to the movies, the Alamo features made-from-scratch food delivered to your seat, a great selection of local beer and wine and craft cocktails."

In addition to 35mm changeover projection, the announcement of Sony 4K Digital capability is indeed a welcome one for cinephiles. With these upgrades, the restored theater is certain to become a unique Bay Area venue with a bright future.

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2013 / 2012 DEVELOPMENTS

SF Gate reported on January10, 2013 that the San Francisco Planning Commission gave final approval to the $10 million renovation of the 1916 theater at 2554 Mission St. Also approved was construction of a 114-unit condominium development next door—to become the second tallest building in the Mission District at 85 feet. Theater plans include a 348-seat theater and four smaller screening rooms, as well as a full restaurant and bar. According to Philip Lesser quoted here on Mission Local, landlord and business consultant, "This is far and away the most impactful project that the Mission has seen in decades."

On February 15, 2012, Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse met with San Francisco's Architectural Planning Committee to present their proposal to convert San Franciso's landmark New Mission Theater into a five-screen multiplex entertainment complex that includes a bar replacing the first floor's projection booth. Alamo Drafthouse is in contract with Gus Murad and Associates to purchase the theater. Both the New Mission and the adjacent Giant Value store went up for sale in 2011. Alamo's founder, Tim League, describes the plan envisioned in his 2/16/12 Alamo blog post:

"Even though our plan is to subdivide the balconies into small boutique theaters, we will be doing it in such a way as to preserve nearly all of the amazing architectural details of the space. We would still preserve the massive downstairs screen and transform that space into a potential premiere venue with state of the art sound and picture. We have been working hand-in-hand with the both historic and neighborhood groups to make sure that our restoration plans meet with their approval. The great news is that the theater interior is largely in good shape. A large percentage of the interior details have been preserved and even most of the light fixtures are intact."

An Environmental Review is underway and should be available to the public in August of September. An earlier proposal for the New Mission to have one stage intended for live performances is still in consideration. Per Alfonso Felder of the SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, as reported in the SF Chronicle, February 18, "This is a more fully developed plan than has been present at any point in 10-plus years."

Chris VerPlanck, who was involved with the original efforts to landmark and reuse the New Mission Theater in the late 1990s, has watched with dismay as the old Art Deco theater crumbles.

"I have been waiting with baited breath to learn more details about the Alamo Drafthouse proposal. Over a decade ago a group I was involved with had proposed a similar reuse project for the New Mission Theater that incorporated a bar and a restaurant, as well as possibly dividing the later balcony into two or three smaller venues. This seemed to be a smart way to reuse the theater, which is one of the City's largest remaining neighborhood "movie palaces."

JANUARY 2011

SF Gate reports Jan. 27: "[New Mission Theater owner, Gus Murad] originally intended to build a market-rate condo project on the Value Giant site and use the profits to restore and develop the New Mission Theater. But complaints that Murad was using his political ties to former Mayor Gavin Newsom to push the project, combined with concerns about putting high-priced condos on Mission Street, stalled the project."

Per Murad's spokesman, P.J. Johnson: "The sale (of the Value Giant and New Mission Theater sites) is more a negotiation to bring in new investors to jump-start the stalled development." On January 26, Heather Smith of Mission Local reports the New Mission Theater is once again up for sale, this time separately from the adjacent Giant Value property. Reportedly under negotiation is its purchase by a New York company planning an ambitious nightclub venue.

The realtor cites historical considerations, "Because it’s historic, you have to keep everything original. From the balcony to the urinals."

↑ COLLAPSE

NOTE: The pictures below show the building in 2006 as it appeared on the day of the Landmarks Board hearing on October 11. The graffiti on display was the result of a rave event held in April 2006. To view photos from 2001 during the Evermax Furniture Occupation, go here.

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Photos by Ted Whipple and Ed Bedard

PRESS COVERAGE

Peek Inside The Alamo Drafthouse New Mission Theater, Open Next Week — Caleb Persham, SFIst, 12-10-2015

New Kids in Town: Alamo Drafthouse Reopens New Mission Theater — Michael Fox, KQED, 12-08-2015

Old Mission Theater to rise again as gleaming multiplex — Sam Whiting, SF Gate, 05-25-2015

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema To Finally Open This Fall in the Mission — Jay Barmann, SFist, 05-26-2015

Indie movie theater and restaurant Alamo Drafthouse about to break ground in the Mission — Annie Sciacca, San Francisco Business Times, 07-16-2014

The Alamo Drafthouse: Arthouse Movies Coming to You in 2015 — Sherilyn Connelly, SF Weekly, 07-08-2014

Update on New Mission theater — Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse Blog

New Mission Theater gets the thumbs up from the City Planning Commission — Vic Wong, MissionMission.org, 01-11-2013

New "Gangnam Style, Swagger Style" Alamo Drafthouse and Condo Project Approved — Kevin Montgomery, Uptown Alamanc, 01-11-2013

New Mission Theater Project Could Mean Big Changes For Mission Street — Rigoberto Hernandez, Mission Local, 01-10-2013

New Mission Theater Renovation OKd — John Wildermuth, SF Gate, 01-10-2013

Comeback Hopes for the New Mission Theater. — Therese Poletti, Wall St. Journal, 09-05-2012

New Mission Theater Would Regain Glory under Plan — Ellen Huet, SF Gate, 02-18-2012

New Mission Theater May Become A San Francisco Alamo Drafthouse (Unless An Obscure Law Stops It) — Aaron Sankin, Huffington Post, 02-17-2012

Alamo Drafthouse Coming to San Francisco's New Mission Theater — Alex Billington, First Showing Net

New Mission Theater Plan: 5 Screens, 900 Seats — Mission Local, 02-15-2012

New Mission Theater Rehab Inches Forward, With Suds — Philip Ferrato, SF Curbed, 02-15-2012

New Life, Food, And Beer For The New Mission Theater As Proposed — SocketSite, 02-14-2012

New Mission Theater Possibly To Become Five-Screen Alamo Drafthouse Cinema — Jay Barmann, SFist, 02-14-2012

Five-screen movie theater coming to Mission District? — J.K. Dineen, San Francisco Business Times, 02-14-2012

↓ 2011-2006 PRESS COVERAGE