Community sees ray of light for reviving El Rey Theatre
The building at 1970 Ocean Avenue has had many lives: a Gap Store, the El Rey Theatre, and most recently, the Voice of Pentacost Church. After the church was evicted a few months ago, community members started looking to the possibility of revitalizing the glory of the historic El Rey as a theatre.
May 11, 2017
UPDATE! This week, the San Francisco Planning Department released the new project proposal for the historic theater. Read the details here, at the Ingleside Light’s website. (July 11, 2021)
A lack of funds for the Pentecostal Church, A Place for Jesus, might be bringing a new form of entertainment to an avenue near you.
According to news reports, the church has been unable to pay their rent recently and is now being evicted from 1970 Ocean Avenue building. The empty building will create the possibility for the neighborhood to open up a new movie theater. However, they must renovate the interior of the building since it is in such bad shape.
The Art Deco building was designed by renowned architect Timothy Pflueger and opened as a one house movie theater in 1931,and even housed the first ever GAP in 1986. The building is now at a crossroad.
The community wants to open the theater doors once again, long after the last curtain call in 1977. However, the building is in limbo. Some want it to be a movie theater again, others want it to house a historical museum, and still others want a complete demolition.
“Why not keep the building but make it a performing arts center?” asked Uziah Metcalfe ’18.
The pre-existing church still wants to fight for its location on behalf of the congregation. Even after their eviction, they are persisting in attempts to regain the building. But this is unlikely because of the price of the building now being boosted up to $6 million by its new owners.
Pastor Richard Gozowski told the SF Chronicle, “We will probably be in that building until Jesus Christ comes back,” he said. “The building owners know that and they are going to sell it back to us. They were going to tear it down and build an apartment complex, but we shared with them the vision of the church.”
Many were against the forcing out of the church.
“I don’t agree that they are forcing the church out, but I support a new business opportunity,” said Darien Thomas ’19.
The majority of the public voice yearns for the maintenance of the original movie theater. However, this might be difficult because of the very rough state of the interior. It must be renovated before any business can move in.
College Counselor, Melissa Nagar, said, “Like the rest of the changes on Ocean, I have mixed feelings. I’m excited for the revitalization of Ocean Ave., but at the same time it’s an indication of the change in the landscape of the neighborhood and city, which saddens me.”
In the end, Ingleside is destined to have a great new addition to their community, whatever it becomes. The school community shall enjoy a historic building that has not been entered by many, other than the church members and those who attended a movie festival in 2011.
Catherine Mifsud, Dean of Student Life, said, “It should be restored into its original glory. They should have a piano in the center to play overture music for the movies, like they do in the Castro Theater.”