Parkway Theater
1834 Park Boulevard,
Oakland,
CA
94606
1834 Park Boulevard,
Oakland,
CA
94606
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Could possibly become a cannabis friendly movie house according to this Hoodline article. Ivy Hill operates a cannibis shop inside the lobby of the theatre but plans are eventually to get movies going again.
Parkway
I attended an open house at the Parkway yesterday, curious about the status of the planned cannabis retail store and theatre restoration. Access to the auditorium wasn’t allowed because of safety concerns, but we could look into the orchestra through one of the back entrances. I’ve uploaded a photo of its current state.
There were two people present to answer questions. I spoke with Hilary, who is the General Manager, she gave me an update. As I mentioned last week, there is a Planning Commission meeting February 17 to decide on issuing a conditional use permit, which is crucial for the restoration to proceed. Assuming the permit is granted, work will proceed on the cannabis store, which is scheduled to open in March.
Work will then begin on the theatre. According to Hilary, the project is estimated to take at least a year and a half and cost around $2 million. The full extent of what’s needed to be done isn’t fully known yet, as things always pop up once work has started. When it closed in 2009, the previous operators thought it would take $500,000 to fix the building. It was mentioned then that the roof leaked and buckets had to be put out in the auditorium when it rained, since it closed it’s been vandalized numerous times and a fair amount of copper was stolen. The list goes on…
The most notable feature of the restoration will be the Parkway’s return to its single screen configuration: the second screen in the old loge/balcony will be removed and the balcony restored.
HowardBHaas, your timing couldn’t have been better to add your comment. I’ll explain that further below. Regarding the second screen, it was in the old loge/balcony according to a couple of early comments. It was twined in the 70s
I’ll add here that Parkway closed in 1990. The building was eventually sold and the new owners renovated the auditorium; in the orchestra, the seats were removed, the floor leveled and new stage built.
The new owners rented the spaces out and, for a few years, the main auditorium served as a venue for rock and roll shows, raves, and other events.
In 1996, Catherine and Kyle Fischer leased the Parkway and spent several months refurbishing it, opening as the Parkway Speakeasy Theater in January, 1997.
As I live about 15 minutes from the Parkway, I decided to take a drive by this morning to check on the status of the building: it’s still boarded up. However, there was a large “Notice of Application” sign on the front. I pulled over to read, and this was for a request to the city Planning Commission to obtain a “minor conditional permit for group assembly, commercial activity and a theater”. The Commission meets this Wednesday at 3pm to consider the request.
Below that, was a poster for an open house to be held at the Parkway tomorrow from 3 to 6pm. Social distancing will be enforced and masks are required. I’ll be attending this event.
The Parkway also has a new website:
https://www.1834park.com/
Right now the info there includes a copy of the case file the Comission will consider, detailed building plans for the renovation, and a few current pictures.
how was this theater twinned? was there a balcony which became the 2nd screen?
Good News! According to today’s San Francisco Chronicle, the Parkway will be re-opening as a marijuana dispensary which will include movies and “notoriously stoner friendly” events such as art shows, and concerts. It is said that the theater will reopen on or before January 2020.
Opening ad:
Parkway theater opening Wed, Sep 23, 1925 – Page 12 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.com
I loved the old Parkway Theater. I ran the projectors there in the early 1980’s It’s a lovely building. Unfortunately we got a lot of thugs and one of my friends, Leslie Martin, was murdered there. That was before they set up the movies and pizza arrangement. I used to climb all over the inside of that place. Especially into the old organ loft above the screen in the old main theater. I wonder what happened to the Wurlitzer organ that used to be there?
This theater is going to sort of be “reincarnated” at a new location on 24th Street in the Uptown district in a former factory. View article
http://iliketheparkway.com/ Local group in Oakland trying to re open the parkway
My Uncle Lawrence Borg, was one of the owners of this theatre, purchasing it in 1926, and selling it in 1931.
Great pictures and newspaper ads.
An effort has been launched to sort of reincarnate at least the spirit of this theater in a new location: View link
According to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Parkway may reopen:
View link
The Cerrito Theater is now closed as well according to the Contra Costa Times.
Here is a September 1967 ad from the Oakland Tribune:
http://tinyurl.com/d7kxrc
Another shot of the Parkway here (2000)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/98458759/
Here is another story about the closing:
http://tinyurl.com/czbv2g
The official site notes the closing date, so status should be changed to closed.
Freaking owners didn’t even pay the employees, they just gave them 4 days' notice. Makes me feel bitter after so many great years. Turns out the owner Kyle was a real joker. I don’t even know if I can keep supporting the El Cerrito all things considered.
View link
Closes on 22 March.
Anyone know what’s going to happen to the building?
Great theater, good people — unfortunately Will Viharo is doing his “Thrillville” show exclusively at the El Cerrito Theater, which is owned by the same people now, starting this month. What with the Paramount now closed to movies, is there any place to see classic movies in Oakland? Very sad. But I still love the Parkway, great place to see all the movies you missed while they were in first run.
I got my car stolen, parked right across the street from this Theatre. Dingbat box office girl saw me cross the street and buy my ticket, when i walked out and the car was gone, she was asleep! The marquee then looked like the one at the Fairfax. It was a dump then. But very nice now! I went there when it was a single screen. I remember how they used to kick patrons out for smoking on the main floor, it was only allowed in the loge and balcony, but you had to pay another 50 cents to sit up there. The sun dials were pretty, lightly lit when the movie was on. When they closed the loge to make another theatre, I didn’t go as much. Food there now is good.
Does anyone know when the Parkway is to be fixed up? I heard now that they have worked things out on a lease they can start with some touch up. Please put in a good Dolby unit downstairs and up. I don’t want to see a movie I missed first run in Mono sound at the Parkway. They the owners did a great job at the El Cerito. Curtains that work and a great stereo sound system. Check it out. Now it’s time the do the same at Oakland’s Parkway. A former manager friend of mine told me the old owner Mr Foster didn’t have enough plastic letters so he had to go to the Piedmont or the Albany all the time and borrow some letters he was missing. They also oversold the house when it was a first class art house. Lucky the Oakland Fire dept didn’t come in and see many people on the floor blocking exits. If you complained you lost your job. This was in the 60’s. Things are better know at the Parkway. Strange thing the owners don’t advertise what is playing in the Oakland Tribune. But they advertise in the Contra Costa paper many miles away. Did they get mad at the Tribune for a bad review? They miss boxoffice customers by not running a small ad in the Tribune.
Nice picture, but the article got the date wrong—-the Parkway wasn’t built until about 1927.
Picture here from 1920 http://www.oaklandhistory.com/files/parkway.html