Wilmington's Granada Theater To Officially Become Historic-Cultural Monument
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to make the vaudevillian Granada Theater in Wilmington 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, on Jan. 13.
Buscaino has sought since 2014 to designate the building as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
On April 15, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission unanimously voted to recommend the City Council add it to the Historic-Cultural Monument list.
Meanwhile, the Wilmington Granada Friends organization has been raising 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.)