Developer pulls out of Berkeley’s California Theatre redevelopment

BERKELEY — Plans to redevelop the historic California Theatre in Berkeley into a new performing arts space and 18 stories of housing are now in peril after the developer pulled out of the plans, organizations leading the project announced.

The California Theater Consortium, a coalition of groups led by the nonprofit Korsa Musical Theater, announced that Gilbane Development Company, its development partner, has backed out of a project which sought to demolish nearly all of the California Theatre except for its facade to make way for a new 24,273-square-foot live performance space and 211 homes.

“Without their support, we are no longer able to move forward with the development. We know this news will be disappointing to the many partners, vendors, and supporters who believed in our shared vision. We extend our heartfelt thanks for your time, energy, and commitment,” read a statement shared on the Consortium website and social media pages in mid June.

Representatives with Gilbane Development did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A completed application to redevelop the California Theatre was first submitted in 2022. The theater had closed a year earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic after more than 100 years in operation.

In addition to building housing, including 22 units listed at affordable rates, the goal of the new proposal was to develop a space that could accommodate both live performances and movies with a roll-down theater screen, orchestra pit and other amenities.

Developing such a venue has been a goal for performing arts advocates for years as similar spaces in the area have continued to shutter. Christian Cerria with Gilbane Development also told the City Council in 2024 that the firm was “all in” on the mission.

“While this project has come to a close, the mission of the California Theater Consortium is far from over. The need for a permanent, affordable home for Berkeley’s performing arts community remains urgent, and we are actively pursuing new pathways and partnerships to make that vision a reality,” the statement read.

Community groups have fought hard to preserve arts spaces in downtown Berkeley.

A grassroots movement of local arts lovers sought to save the United Artists Theater, a once-grand 1,800-seat movie palace built in 1932 that was later converted into a seven-screen theater and was operated that way until being shuttered in 2023.

Despite its listing on the California Register of Historical Resources, that space is now slated for demolition and a 227-unit housing development with a ground floor cafe is proposed to replace it.

Shattuck Cinemas, a movie theater opened in 1988 at 2065 Kittredge St., has already been demolished to make way for an eight-story, 188-unit apartment building.

If the California Theatre and United Artists Theater are both torn down, there will be no performance or movie houses left standing in downtown Berkeley.

“A sad time for Berkeley’s arts scene — local performing arts groups are being forced to look beyond our city limits for space,” Glen Epperson, California Theater Consortium project co-manager, said in a comment under the social media announcement. “When our stages go dark, our culture dims with them. As someone once said, ‘Having a dark theater in your downtown is like having a corpse in your living room.’ It sends a chilling message: something vital is missing.”