Port Theater’s rebirth in Corona del Mar

CORONA DEL MAR CA — The Port Theater was built in 1950 in a distinct 50’s style. It remained opened as a single screen theater until 1998 when a combination of newly built multiplexes nearby and a lack of public parking on a busy thoroughfare finally proved fatal.

The theater has remained closed for a decade and suffered both the threat of city approved demolition permits and a later proposed remodel for use as offices and shops. The present owner has surprisingly reversed his original plans for the remodel and has announced he will revive the theater.

An article about the Port Theater’s rebirth can be found at the OC Register.

The article also contains seven photos of both the outside and interior of the theater in its present state. It appears a fair amount of work is needed in the interior to bring it back to life. The article does not mention if this will be a true restoration or a renovation to bring it back to a usable state. The present plan calls for a dinner-theater atmosphere with sofa seating. The balcony will apparently retain theater seating. The project is expected to take a year.

Theaters in this post

• New Port Theatre