Granada Theater In Wilmington Recommended To Be Historic-Cultural Monument
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the L.A. City Council designates the vaudevillian Granada Theater in South Los Angeles as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
The 1,000-seat theater, located at 632 N. Avalon Blvd. in Wilmington, opened in 1926 to host vaudeville performers as part of the West Coast Theaters chain.
The theater has since been used as a performance arts center, filming location, movie house, Spanish cinema theater, church and special event venue, according to the Wilmington Granada Friends organization.
The theater was under consideration to be listed as a Historic-Cultural Monument but the time for consideration expired. The motion to reactivate consideration was introduced by Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents the Wilmington neighborhood.
"We have an incredible opportunity to historically designate a vital part of Wilmington's history," Buscaino said. "Every Wilmington native will share stories of their childhood memories of this theater. The Granada Theater has the potential to help revitalize the downtown corridor, so we're moving today on a motion to designate it as a historically protected monument."
Buscaino has sought since 2014 to designate the building as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
The commission's president, Commissioner Richard Barron, said he visited the theater before the vote and was in support of the designation, calling the theater's condition "rough" but noting that it had potential to be brought back to life.
Meanwhile, the Wilmington Granada Friends organization has been working to raise money and reopen the theater as an independent movie house and performance center.
"Reopening the Wilmington Granada theater will not only create jobs but will stimulate the economy by offering performances and films," the organization states on its website. "Wilmington Granada Friends is currently searching for local vendors and community programs interested in becoming part of our mission. We look forward to working closely with Wilmington's residents and commerce."
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
