Friends of the Cerrito Theater is asking people who love the historic theater, which operates as Rialto Cinemas Cerrito, and want to see it preserved as a movie theater and as a historic building to attend two meetings, next week and the week after.

On Tuesday, June 19, starting at 7 p.m., during its regular meeting, the El Cerrito City Council will be asked to approve a deal selling the theater to its current operators, Rialto Cinemas. The meeting is at City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave.

Friends of the Cerrito Theater has been discussing the proposed sale with city officials and the people from Rialto and we support the sale.

The last we heard, the agreement will call for deed restrictions that would preclude any other use of the building other than for movies, theater or performance, and would safeguard the historic elements, from neon marquee to art glass to murals.

The terms of the restrictions would last 99 years. You can read the proposed agreement by pulling up the agenda for the Tuesday meeting. It will be posted Thursday.

The City Council is expected to back the agreement with no controversy.

The city has to sell the theater because it bought it under redevelopment law. When the state ordered the end of redevelopment, cities that served as redevelopment agencies were told to dispose of redevelopment assets, which include the theater.

Funds from the sale will go to various taxing agencies, including the city, county, and school district.

The more important meeting will be Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m. and also at City Hall (likely in a small conference room).

This will be a meeting of the “Oversight Board for the Successor Agency of the former El Cerrito Redevelopment Agency.” This group, with local representatives, was set up to ensure fair disposition of redevelopment properties.

It will be asked to approve the sale of the theater to Rialto Cinemas.

It is clear that the city could get more money by selling the theater to a developer who would rip it down for housing. (Though that would be complicated by the series of leases Rialto currently holds for the building).

Loss of the theater would also be a devastating blow to the citizenry of El Cerrito and fans of the theater from surrounding towns. It would also harm the city’s business climate and the “theater district” that has grown up around the theater.

The city used redevelopment funds to buy and help restore the theater to boost economic development and social well-being in the city. In that, the city succeeded. No one wants to lose those benefits.

The bet is that the “Oversight Board” will understand this. But wouldn’t it be wise to remind them just how strongly people in El Cerrito want to do what Friends got together to do back in 2002?

Save the Cerrito Theater.

If you cannot attend the Oversight meeting, you can send comments or drop them off at City Hall. Address them to “Oversight Board of the Successor Agency,” c/o City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, 94530.

Friends of the Cerrito Theater strongly supports efforts by the City of El Cerrito and Rialto Cinemas to reach an agreement on the proposed sale of the historic, 1937 Art Deco-styled Cerrito Theater to Rialto Cinemas.

On June 19, the El Cerrito City Council is scheduled to discuss and vote on a sale of the Cerrito Theater to the theater’s current operator, Rialto Cinemas, which leases the building from the city.

Negotiations are ongoing and no final agreement has been reached. But city staff and Rialto are developing a plan that, if incorporated into the sale agreement, would ensure that Rialto Cinemas Cerrito, as the theater is known, would continue to successfully show first-run movies, special screenings, and movie classics, and to sell food and beverages, without interruption.

In addition, Rialto would agree to continue providing 12 community days for special screenings by local organizations.

Importantly, Rialto Cinemas would agree to preserve all of the theater’s historic elements, from the façade and neon marquee to the etched glass in doorways and a mirror, the original painting scheme, light sconces and more. A mechanism to ensure this preservation is being developed.
On top of that, Rialto would agree to a permanent deed restriction requiring that the building be operated “in perpetuity” as a theater or performance space. (Though not necessarily as a movie theater.)

That means that, 10 or 20 years down the road, we would not be seeing condos or a drug store in that space.

Friends of the Cerrito Theater, which has been working to restore and preserve the theater since 2001, believes this proposed agreement is the best outcome we could have. The city never intended to own the theater forever.

We commend the City Council and city staff. We also thank the owners of Rialto for working with the city towards a positive solution.

Friends hopes to continue our close and cooperative relationship with Rialto after the sale, including presentations of classic movies.

Friends of the Cerrito Theater will follow this process closely. Members of the public can learn more by contacting Melanie Mintz, Community Development Director at 215-4339 or mmintz@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us.

There will be a public meeting in the small meeting room at the theater at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 6. We encourage people to attend. The City Council is expected to discuss and vote on the sale at its Tuesday, June 19 meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Come along for the ride (a wild one) with “Thelma and Louise” at the Cerrito on Thursday, April 12, at 7:00!

“Thelma and Louise” is a road picture, a buddy picture, except this time the buddies are women. Was it also the opening salvo in the new feminism?

There is definitely a lot of fun involved—the movie is “subversively buoyant,” as one critic put it. It’s about two unforgettable women, out for an adventure, bonding and discovering their inner selves…as things happen.

Of course, men are involved, including Brad Pitt and Harvey Keitel.

Both Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon were nominated for Best Actress. There were six nominations in all for the movie, including for acclaimed director Ridley Scott. The Oscar for best original screenplay went to Callie Khourie.

Few would disagree: “Thelma and Louise” is more relevant than ever, probably in a way that the filmmakers couldn’t have anticipated.

“Thelma and Louise” plays once only on Thursday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m.. All seats are $9.00. Moviegoers are strongly advised to buy advance tickets at the box office or online, as many shows sell out. Arriving early is a good idea, in order to choose your seat and also order delicious food and wine or beer.

Scene

So many choices at Scene! There are flatbread pizzas, a charcuterie and cheese sampler, baked sandwiches, “bites,” salads, desserts, and much more. You can enjoy them there, or have them brought to your seat while you watch the movie. The atmospheric food/wine bar is a fun place to hang out, with special wines and beers available. Check it out!

Upcoming Classics

Cerrito Classics will be on hiatus beginning in May but will return in September:

• Thursday, September 13, at 7 p.m. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

See you then!

Cerrito Classics play monthly, on the second Thursday of the month, at 7:00.