Star Theatre
145 N. First Street,
La Puente,
CA
91744
145 N. First Street,
La Puente,
CA
91744
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 42 of 42 comments found
Does anyone know the current status? Is the theater now gone?
Here is a 2007 photo of the Star Theater.
I cannot believe that they are going to demolish the Star Theatre! I just viewed the construction of this and they do not make buildings like this any longer. That the city of La Puente thinks that this is redevelopment?! This is a historic building and I thought it fell under the California Historic Preservation Law of 50+ year old buildings. Will have to check into that if it is not too late.
I was born in Los Angeles and lived at the ‘Puente Junction’ and Valinda from 1955-1971. I saw my first movie at the Star theatre. It was the Pink Panther, and Fiddler on the Roof. A Hards Days Night!
I wonder if they ever considered building around it! What a concept!
I hope it is not too late to see it one last time. We are coming down for Easter Week. I currently live in Downtown HISTORIC San Luis Obispo where we cherish our buildings…it has increased our value of our community!
This building is one of the buildings that made Los Angeles what it is today. A place where everyone seems to want to live…..
In case the above link doesn’t work, here is the text:
Odyssey Homes of California News
“Star Theatre: The end
La Puente to convert infamous site into mixed-use plaza
La Puente â€" The Star Theatre, which since 1947 has screened everything from Spanish-subtitled family films to triple X adult films, has closed.
After two years of conceiving plans to revitalize its business areas, La Puente’s Redevelopment Agency finally got its wish.
The Star Theatre and its parking lot immediately south of it was bought for an estimated $400,000 and will be demolished to make way for 70, 670 square feet commercial and residential space.
This is the first redevelopment project for the city since its redevelopment agency was founded on July 13, 2004.
A conceptual design has been submitted to the city by Odyssey Homes of California Inc., in conjunction with First Pacific Homes.
It features a three-story mixed-use plaza with 8,800 square feet of commercial businesses on the ground level and 48 condominium units on the upper floors. There will also be 176 parking spaces, 40 of which will belong to the city.
“La Puente has been known as a sleepy little town nestled in an obscure part of the San Gabriel Valley. We’re starting to mature as a community, and without redevelopment, out economic vitality will suffer,†La Puente Councilman Louie Lujan said.
A redevelopment plan enables cities to increase property taxes on commercial spaces, which in turn funds further redevelopment.
In 2004, local business owners and residents were invited to meetings, workshops, and a public hearing informing them of the changes that were to follow the city’s announcement of its redevelopment plans.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary as an incorporated city, La Puente will finally witness the destruction of its first and only movie theater.
Mayor Renee Chavez recalled going there with her gamily to watch Walt Disney films when the theater first opened as a single-screen, family movie theater.
That all changed in 1978, when then owner Arturo Gutierrez, started to screen X-rated movies. That continued for the next 22 years.
Although the Star Theatre, at 145 N. First St., made one last effort to reinvent its image six years ago by screening first-run family films with Spanish subtitles, it could never get over its negative reputation.
“I don’t think anybody’s going to miss it,†Chavez said.
“This means that the city is changing. It’s a positive step for this city and I’m thrilled about it.â€
The city is now in the first phase of its project, but council members will soon decide whether they will approve the proposal. Officials seem to be optimistic with the current designs.
“This is a pedestrian friendly are with a fountain and walkways. It’s going to bring back the concept of human capital and person-to-person conversations. [The design] looks beautiful,†Lujan said.
Construction is tentatively scheduled for later this year.
The Star Theatre project will be a catalyst for further redevelopment projects that have already been outlined by the city.
Planned projects include the expansion of the Ed Butts Ford dealership on North Hacienda Boulevard and the development of more commercial space to replace the city’s dilapidated bowling alley on the same street.
Allan Donnelly, the chief operating officer of Odyssey Homes, who was raised in the San Gabriel Valley, believes the city’s wish is only a star away.
“This [street] corner, it’s going to change everything. We’re going to build a brand-new beautiful building. People will have something to do, and property values should increase. That’s out vision,†Donnelly said.
Deal Struck to Develop Downtown Site. Site Slanted for Mixed Commercial & Residential Project.
The site of the current Star Theatre and the adjacent parking lot will be developed in a mixed residential and commercial project. The site (134-145 N. First Street in Downtown La Puente) is expected to be developed in a three story complex with nearly 9,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor with forty-eight residential units on the second and third floors. The residential component will included thirty-six two-bedroom condominiums and a dozen one-bedroom units.
The City’s Redevelopment Agency closed escrow with the developer earlier this year, selling the City-owned parking lot adjacent to the Star Theatre.
The two parcels will comprise the development site, with the now closed Star Theatre slated for demolition. The site will include 176 parking spaces, ensuring off street parking for residents. The project includes forty public parking spaces along with an additional twenty-two spaces for commercial use. The public parking effectively replaces the City’s former parking lot at the site, affording shoppers access to parking in Downtown. A large artist rendering of the project can be viewed at City Hall (a print version is shown here).
Sustain La Puente redevelopment
It’s been a hard row to how, but La Puente is poised to begin redevelopment. Out hope is that the initial project will lead to a badly needed revamp of downtown.
Increased property values have helped La Puente leaders pitch their city to more home builders and developers. Like many bedroom communities, La Puente needs to provide additional shopping venues for residents in order to capture more sales dollars that now go to surrounding cities.
For years, council members steered clear of redevelopment because of a wide ranging proposal decades ago that would have taken some homes through eminent domain. Although the plan would have completely changed the city’s core and with it, the little town’s fortunes, residents railed against the plan until it was abandoned, along with the redevelopment agency. Call it too much, too soon.
Much of La Puente’s core business district is run down and mostly absentee landlords have resisted change that would included investment to refurbish their aging buildings, most of which do not conform to state earthquake standards.
It’s fitting then that the first phase of La Puente redevelopment will be demolishing the Star Theater, a derelict Quonset hut that for more than 20 years screened x-rated movies in this town that otherwise centers on families and senior citizens. (More recently it showed first-run mainstream movies). The city’s redevelopment agency sold an adjacent parcel used as a parking lot to the developer who is putting together the project- a wise move that will help remove this flashpoint in the city politics and usher in a new La Puente.
As reported this week by staff writer Sang Lee, a 70,670 square foot commercial and residential complex will occupy the site. It promises to be one of the first and best mixed use plazas in the area with more than 8,000 square feet of businesses on the ground level and 48 condominium units on the upper floors.
The development should stand as a model for other cities whose residents have been reluctant to embrace the work-live and mixed-use concept of building up, not out, providing affordable housing along with retail and other business operations. It’s an old concept that’s gaining new traction in cities with little buildable land left.
It’s imperative that the council see this development through if the city is ever going to establish itself as an up and coming residential community offering close in shopping and entertainment that complements neighborhoods. It’s a great way for La Puente to kick off its next 50 years".
“The Star Theatre and its parking lot immediately south of it was bought for an estimated $400,000 and will be demolished to make way for 70, 670 square feet commercial and residential space”. You can read the story here.
I’m very sorry to hear about the possible closing of a historic theatre like the Star. I grew up in La Puente from ‘48 to '71 and saw many, many movies at the Star. The earliest I can remember was the “War of the Worlds” sometime around '52-'53. I also remember being thrown out for running up & down the aisles about the same time :). I lived in the Fairgrove area and would walk to and from the Theatre throughout the '50’s with my sisters and friends. I now live in the Seattle area but would hope the Redevelopment Agency would recognize the Historic character of this theatre and save it. I have many great memories of the La Puente downtown and the High School (I graduated in '64).
Posted by Bob Garrison on Jan 30,2007
The former head projectionist for Laemmle Theatres was owner or part owner of the theatre during the late 80’s- 1990’s.
The head projectionist for Laemmle Theatres was owner or part owner of this theatre during the 1990’s.
My parents bought a new house on Harvest Moon street in 1950 when I was two. In the early 50s, my older brothers and I would go to the Star theater, about 2 ½ miles from our house, to see movies. My oldest brother, who is 62, remembers live performances at the Star, the most memorable being a magic show with audience participation. I have a vague memory of that, but I was probably only four or five years old at the time. Last week we revisited the old neighborhood, as my brother was down from Ashland Oregon for his 45th La Puente high school reunion. It was a treat to recall old memories and see old sites, some of which haven’t changed at all. We saw the Star and took pictures, and thought that the theater was being preserved as a local landmark. Sad to hear that’s not the case.
From the San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
Star Theatre’s light may fade out
The theater, which showed pornographic movies from the 1970s to the 1990s, received an overhaul and began showing first-run films and featuring live performances.
But activities have slowed on the site, and the La Puente Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday will consider selling the adjacent 40-space parking lot to add land to the latest proposal…
Nothing lasts forever. It would be nice if the theatre could be preserved, but that would be up to the people of La Puente.
It was nice see our theater in the tv ad. I hear it will be gone in about 2 months. Is this true.
The Liberty Mutual ad, that has a 1.5 second cameo role of Star Theatre. can be viewed here,
I just saw the Star Theatre on a Liberty Mutual ad on TV. What a very happy surprise, as i had suspected that Star has long since gone the way of other single-screen theatres.
I moved out of La Puente over 30 years ago. I too have fond memories of seeing “A Hard Day’s Night” there, as well as “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World” and so many more movies.
I am happy that La Puente still has this treasure, and it is still being used for first run movies.
I saw “A Hard Day’s Night” five times in two days at the Star Theater. They didn’t clear the theater between movies back then. I can’t imagine La Puente without the Star Theater.
This website has photos of the Star Theater in La Puente, CA.
The Star is open again and showing first-run mainstream movies. In the summer of 2004 it has screened such films as Collateral, I Robot, Shrek II, and Hero.
Prior to its recent cinema revival, it was a theatre for live performances of Mexican music and folk dance.
I have been a resident of La Puente for over 25 years and until now only known the Star as a XXX cinema house. Online research on the construction of the “Puente Theatre” (as the Star was originally named) and architect S. Charles Lee is available at http://digital.library.ucla.edu/sclee/
I believe it is now a church. Prior to 2001 it showed XXX movies.