Balboa Theatre
854 Fourth Avenue,
San Diego,
CA
92101
854 Fourth Avenue,
San Diego,
CA
92101
15 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 78 comments found
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996
Balboa Theatre (added 1996 – Building – #96001177)
Also known as El Teatro Balboa;City Historical Site No. 77
868 4th Ave., San Diego
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Wurster Construction Co. et al., Wheeler, William H.
Architectural Style: Mission/Spanish Revival
Area of Significance: Performing Arts, Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949
Owner: Local Gov’t
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Business, Theater
Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use
THU07SEP06, 3:50P CST
I sure hope they don’t ruin the acoustics of the auditorium. If the acoustics of the Balboa auditorium aren’t perfect then they’re very close to it.
I worked in the movie theatre industry “in the booth” from November of 1972 to December of 2000; first as a regular, rank-and-file projectionist and then as a travelling technician. San Diego was my home base and I travelled as far South as Calexico and as far North as Sacramento and everywhere in between. I have been associated with many, many theatres but the Balboa has always been my most beloved. She’s a grand old gal and I’m just delighted to see she’s being restored. San Diego owes a debt of gratitude to Steve Karo as he’s the one largely responsible for saving her in the very beginning.
Dan Whitehead
Irving, Tx.
THU07SEP06, 2:45P CST
That is just fantastic!! It’s about time too.
For those wishing to keep informed of the Balboa’s progress, you can now go to the “horse’s mouth”.
The following is the Centre City Development Corp.’s own web page devoted to the progress of the Balboa. Pidgeons, broken windows, open windows are irrelevant. Barricades have been up and restoration has been obvious and ongoing for some time. Re-opening is slated for Dec. 2007.
Weslake, Reed & Leskowsky are nationally known and tops in the field of historic restoration. The Balboa’s restoration is fully funded, planning, demolition and seismic retrofit are already completed. Restoration is in it’s final phase as you can see by the CCDC photos. Check it out for yourself:
View link
Steve Karo
Made my last trip downtown (for now) during the week and observed that the Balboa’s exterior looks worse than ever, plus more broken windows. Other windows have been left wide open and are now used by cooping pigeons.
There’s a large hanging banner naming Westlake, Reed & Leskowsky as the architects and engineers. I’m really hoping WR&L can pull the rabbit out of the magic hat on this one by 2007.
Restoration continues at a snail’s pace, although it’s difficult to tell how far along workers are in the interior. The outside wooden barricade that has been erected around the base of the Balboa now announces a re-opening date of 2007. (Frankly, I doubt it.) The Gaslamp down the block is the plush theater of choice in the meantime, but do avoid the closer one in Horton Plaza (with its garish MTV architecture). The sound system is bottom of the barrel.
Restoration work appears exceedingly slow, at least on the exterior. I pass by almost weekly, only to see broken windows, peeling paint, bas relief figures in disrepair or vandalized. Date given for re-opening is 2008.
how many cinema subwoofers will it have?
any chance that an occasional film will screen in there?
By the way Steve, what you did was not a dog-and-pony show. It was very important. You obviously won the battle and I’m very glad you did.
Thank you for those kind words Steve. The Balboa will always have a very special place in my heart.
I have a few corrections and comments about the Balboa Theatre.
1-The theatre was acquired by the City of San Diego in 1986 not to restore it but to gut it. It was a prolonged battle to keep that from happening.
2-The original construction cost was $800,000 (not $1.5 mil).
3-The original seating capacity was 1534.
Comments:
Yes, I remember the cedar lined room in the basement which was a remnant from a furrier or cleaner, I believe. It is gone along with everything else in the building, as the restoration continues.
To Dan Whitehead:
You will always be one of the unsung heros of the Balboa. You allowed me to do my dog and pony show in the theatre many times, against the wishes of your employer (Walnut Properties) and the City of San Diego. Best regards to you, always!
The construction bids for the final phase of the Balboa’s restoration have just been opened and with a little luck the theatre will reopen in the fall of 2007. The major portion of demolition and seismic retrofit is now complete. Excellent management is already in place to operate the theatre. It’s happening and will be spectacular when completed.
Steve Karo
Does anyone out there remember the downtown San Diego theatres of the 1970s?
My name is Dan Whitehead and I’m the guy who used to let Steve Karo into the Balboa to look around. I remember one time he and his wife brought in a chamber orchestra and a little group of people. The chamber orchestra played Bach on the stage and every single note of the music could be heard all the way to the top row of the balcony. The acoustics of this house are nothing less than perfect. I never could understand why the old Fox Theatre was used for Symphony Hall as the acoustics of the Fox were notoriously awful and it took lots of money to correct them. The acoustics of the Balboa were, as I say, perfect.
I wonder if they found the cedar room in the basement?
Here is another photo of the Balboa Theater. Caption with photo reads:
“The Balboa, a splendid Spanish Colonial style movie theater in downtown San Diego, designed by architect William Wheeler, opened in 1924. It has about 1400 seats, 904 on the main level and almost 500 in the balcony. Although it was remodeled in 1964 at a cost of $125,000, it is badly in need of further restoration. The theater went dark in 1985 when the city condemned it and took it over. It now stands empty, but at least it is still there”.
From the UCLA Digital Archive:
View link
I am really glad to hear the Balboa is going to be restored. I was stationed in San Diego from 1957-59 and went there many times..A great place to watch a film, but the movie I remember most was South Pacific. Great picture, sound ….very enjoyable experience. I hope to ba able to make a visit back there one day
Doug Bruton Denison, Texas
Latest news! The long-planned restoration officially began today with a completion date now set at 2007.
View link
STAGING A COMEBACK
Today marks a new beginning for a decades-old downtown theater
By Preston Turegano
ARTS WRITER
July 25, 2005
EARNIE GRAFTON /Union-Tribune
[i]Fences and trash bins attest to preparations for the long-awaited renovation
of the Balboa Theatre, which officially begins today.[/i]
About 20 years ago, Steve Karo bought a ticket to get inside the Balboa Theatre â€" then a downtown San Diego movie house â€" and see the place up close.
At the time, Karo, a percussionist and admirer of old theaters, was reeling from the demolition of the 70-year-old, 400-seat Lyceum Theatre on F Street between Third and Fourth avenues.
“I loved that theater,” said Karo, who had performed in the Lyceum’s orchestra pit. “It still sickens me that we lost it, and we weren’t about to lose another if I could help it.”
Relegated to the role of X-rated movie theater, the old Lyceum was demolished to make way for the Horton Plaza parking garage. On the Fourth Avenue side of the 1985 retail project (at E Street) was the Balboa Theatre. Some advocates of progress wanted it torn down, too.
“What was being said in an effort to destroy the Balboa wasn’t accurate, so I got my flashlight, went to the Balboa and nosed around,” Karo said. “I was amazed at what I saw.”
Karo’s observations resulted in his organization of Save Our Balboa. Later, Karo and others formed the nonprofit Balboa Theatre Foundation, which handles funds associated with Balboa preservation efforts. In 1996, Karo and his wife, Mary, also helped steer the nomination of the Balboa to the National Register of Historic Places.
Today â€" after years of talks and unsuccessful bids to bring new life to the now 81-year-old theater â€" city officials will finally break ground for restoration of the former vaudeville venue.
“The Balboa Theatre is truly a jewel of downtown and Centre City Development Corp. is excited about overseeing its restoration,” said CCDC president Peter Hall. “When complete, San Diego will have preserved an important piece of local history and created a beautiful new theater.”
Once the $18.9-million rebuild is done in 2007, the city will have a new midsize â€" 1,300-seat â€" performance space available to arts groups and other organizations.
The San Diego Chamber Orchestra, California Ballet, Classic for Kids, La Jolla Music Society, San Diego Master Chorale, Christian Community Theater, Young Audiences of San Diego, and Art Productions have expressed interest in using the Balboa, according to Don Telford, president and chief operating officer of San Diego Theatres Inc. (the nonprofit corporation that manages the San Diego Civic Theatre and which will provide similar services for the Balboa).
Several smaller theater organizations are also potential users.
“There are a number of ‘homeless’ theater companies that are always searching for venues, and downtown is popular,” said Stephanie Casenza, executive director of the San Diego Performing Arts League.
Joe Kobryner, general manager of Broadway/San Diego, said Broadway/San Diego and its parent company, the Nederlander Producing Company of America, also might present shows at the new venue.
“Recently there has been an increase in the number of shows from Broadway and Off-Broadway that may tour and utilize smaller theaters, so we are exploring these opportunities,” Kobryner said.
Equally enthusiastic about the restoration is John Santuccio, executive director of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. The ensemble has been using three small venues â€" St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, Sherwood Auditorium and the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club â€" for its six-concert seasons. The Balboa will be the organization’s downtown site. The country club and Sherwood in La Jolla will still be used, Santuccio said.
“It’s the acoustics at the Balboa that I’m excited about,” Santuccio said. “That makes all the difference for an orchestra. I just hope we can afford the rental rates.”
As a result of meetings with officials of San Diego Theatres Inc., Santuccio said daily rent for the Balboa may be about $3,000 (by comparison, Copley Symphony Hall rents for approximately $2,500, or 10 percent of gross ticket sales, whichever is greater).
Kay Porter, president of the Balboa Theatre Foundation, said the foundation wants to establish an endowment fund â€" an amount to be determined â€" that would spin off enough interest to cover the cost of some Balboa Theatre rental nights for certain nonprofit groups.
CCDC acquired the Balboa through eminent domain in 1985. Over the years, several private proposals to turn the theater into a museum, a cabaret, a bookstore and a Jimmy Buffett-themed concert hall were considered, but none of the ideas were economically sound. In October 2002, CCDC decided to renovate the theater itself.
During its lifetime, the Balboa has been used for live performances (vaudeville and plays), as a place for military personnel to sleep during World War II, and as a movie theater.
Originally scaled to 1,534-seats, the renovated Balboa will have fewer seats, but larger and wider than those installed in 1924. Much of the renovation will consist of tearing out electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, and installing new replacements. Earthquake-retrofitting and modifications to accommodate the disabled also will be added.
“It’s going to be wondrously beautiful,” said Karo.
Preston Turegano: (619) 293-1357;
The grand old lady can be restored to its original usage is admired by cinema reseacher like me in Hong Kong.Hong Kong don’t have any old theatre remains nowadays.
What a good news!
Congratulation!
Raymond Lo/29th May,2005
Unfortunately the Balboa is still closed (for any kind of theatrical or projection business) as of this posting. No $16M renovation nor 2003 reopening ever took place. But the UNION-TRIBUNE article below projects its reopening in 2007.
While the Balboa Theatre Foundation website, http://thebalboa.org/, seems to be offline today, apparently the Foundation will conduct a tour by appointment:
View link
View link
A downtown icon awaits a multimillion-dollar restoration
By Jonathan Heller
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
January 28, 2005
SCOTT LINNETT / Union-Tribune
The Balboa Theatre is in surprisingly good shape, considering it is 81 years old and has been shuttered for 20 years, said an architect helping the city of San Diego restore it.
The city’s downtown redevelopment agency is getting ready to start major reconstruction of the former vaudeville theater and movie house.
“This theater was lucky enough to be built in San Diego, rather than in an area with more temperature and humidity extremes,” said Paul Westlake, a Phoenix-based architect specializing in historic restorations.
Westlake and redevelopment officials did a walk-through yesterday in preparation for starting construction.
Westlake is helping the Centre City Development Corp. begin the $15.9 million project, which is expected to be finished in 2007.
The agency acquired the once-opulent theater next to Horton Plaza through eminent domain in 1985 and considered several private proposals to turn it into a museum, a cabaret, a huge bookstore and even a Jimmy Buffet-themed concert hall, but none of the ideas penciled out economically, said Eli Sanchez, a project manager with the agency.
In October 2002, the Centre City Development Corp. decided to renovate the theater itself and let nonprofit community groups host shows there.
“We’ve gone through a discovery phase with the building,” said Gary Bosse, senior project manager for the development corporation.
Westlake has renovated a small section of wall over the balcony with the original colors â€" brilliant reds, lavenders, greens and golds, among other shades.
The bulk of the job will be tearing out the building’s innards â€" electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems â€" and installing modern replacements. The building will need earthquake-retrofitting and modifications to accommodate the disabled.
“The guts of the whole thing will be new,” Westlake said. “What’s surviving is the historic shell and ornamental finishes.”
The 1,500 original seats will be replaced with 1,300 larger and wider ones, Westlake said. People are generally taller, and in many cases heavier, than was typical when the theater was built in 1924, he said.
The special fountains on either side of the stage will be returned to working order, and the original chandeliers will be restored, Bosse said.
The hall has superior acoustics thanks to its cube shape and perforated ceilings, meaning it can be used for non-amplified and amplified music, said Don Telford, chief operating officer for San Diego Theatres, which will manage the Balboa once it opens.
The theater’s heyday was in the mid-1920s through the 1930s. It fell into decline during World War II and at one point was used as a place for sailors to sleep temporarily. It mostly showed movies and offered few live performances when it closed in 1985, before Horton Plaza opened.
At 1,300 seats, the Balboa will occupy its own niche among downtown’s theaters, which include the 700-seat Lyceum Theatre, 2,200-seat Symphony Hall and 3,000-seat Civic Theatre.
Hello from Colorado!
My God Father owned Walnut properties and The Pussycat Chain.He owned and loved this building at one time. I am putting together a collection of ANY memorabilia befor all is lost. If you have any information..please let me know.
Thanks!
Tim David
970.309.3991
It might be of interest to some that the architect of this theatre, William H. Wheeler, was also the architect of the very theatrical 5500 seat Angelus Temple, built in 1923 in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, for the notorious radio Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. There were few who understood show business as well as did Sister Aimee. She chose her architect well.
There are ornamental “niches” on either side of the screen area that feature waterfall mountain scenes. I understand these actually worked with real water when the theater was first built.
The opening date of the Balboa Theatre was 28th March 1924 and cost $1.5m to build. Architect William Wheeler designed a Spanish Baroque styled movie theatre that had working waterfalls on either side of the proscenium and a theatre pipe organ to accompany silent films. The seating capacity was for 1,800.
The Balboa Theatre closed on 6th April 1986.