Historic Preservation Commission to Review New Plans for Alexandria Theater

The Alexandria Theater

​If you're a fan of cool old movie theaters in the Richmond District -- and there are a few of them -- you might take an interest in a new set of designs for the renovated Alexandria Theater that city officials will review tomorrow.

The Historic Preservation Commission will be taking a looking at updated plans for the theater at Geary Boulevard and 18th Avenue. As richmondsfblog.com reports, the latest adjustments are intended to better highlight some of the building's historical features, such as a set of wall murals that were obscured when additions to the theater were made in 1976.

The real story, of course, is that the Alexandria project is moving forward at all. The 1923 Art Deco theater has become a favored gathering place of the homeless and an irritant for surrounding businesses and residents since it was closed six years ago.

It is also associated with the unsavory reputation of engineer and former city plan-checker Jimmy Jen, who allegedly forged documents related to its renovation prior to his arrest for multiple counts of alleged fraud in August.

The Historic Preservation Commission's meeting will be held at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, in Room 400 at City Hall.

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