News
APRIL 2008 / SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE THE METRO THEATRE
Show your suppport for preserving the historic Metro Theatre by signing the online petition to Save the Metro!
Please write to District 2 Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org and let her know that you think that the Metro should be preserved as a Theatre!
FEB. 2008 / LANDMARKS BOARD CONSIDERS LANDMARKING METRO THEATRE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR
The Metro item was continued at the Feb. 6 meeting. Information about a new meeting date when the Metro item will be considered will be posted here.
Help Save the Metro! Attend the Feb. 6 Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board Meeting and encourage the Board to approve designation of the Interior and Exterior of the Metro as a San Francisco Landmark!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
12:30 PM, City Hall Room 400
Read the Metro Theatre Landmark Nomination Report.
Vew the Metro Theatre Landmark Nomination Photos.
AUG. 2007 / CITY PURSUES LANDMARK STATUS FOR METRO THEATRE
Legislation was introduced at the Board of Supervisors to initiate the landmarking process for Union Street's historic Metro Theatre. For more information please see this article in the SF Daily.
SEPT. 2006 / HISTORIC METRO THEATRE CLOSES
Union Street's historic Metro Theatre closed last week after its operator Regal Entertainment Group sold its lease to the owner of the property. Future plans for the Metro are not known, but the property owner is said to be considering a variety of options for the theatre. The Metro was renovated in 1998 and is one of the City's grandest remaining neighborhood theaters. The Metro opened as the Metropolitan in 1924 and was designed by prominent local architects the Reid Bros (Fairmont Hotel). A 1941 remodel was completed by Timothy Pflueger (Oakland Paramount). The Metro was the original home of America's oldest international film festival, the San Francisco International Film Festival premiered at the Metro in 1957.
The Theater Foundation has been in touch with the property owner and we hope to meet soon to discuss the future of the Metro. We have already put the owner in touch with an interested operator of the theater and with an interested buyer who would preserve the Metro as a theater. Nonetheless, the future of the Metro is very much uncertain and it is important that the community voice its concern about the future of the theatre.
At this point, the best way to voice your concern is to write a letter to members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors stating your preference that the Metro remain a theatre. We would suggest sending an email to the following Supervisors:
Michela Alioto-Pier, Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org (District 2 Supervisor, the Metro is in District 2)
Aaron Peskin, Aaron.Peskin@sfgov.org
Bevan Dufty, Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org
Tom Ammiano, Tom.Ammiano@sfgov.org
Ross Mirkarimi, ross.mirkarimi@sfgov.org
Please CC the Theater Foundation so that we are aware of your letter:
Alfonso Felder, SFNTF, afelder@sfntf.org
It is important that each letter is personal, but some points you might consider making in your letter include:
* The Metro is one of the best and last remaining neighborhood movie theaters in San Francisco.
* The Metro is an important attraction for the Union Street neighborhood commercial district and draws visitors from throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area.
* The Metro is a significant historic resource designed by prominent architects the Reid Brothers and later remodeled by Timothy Pflueger. The Metro is also the original home of the San Francisco International Film Festival.
* The Metro is a critical cultural resource that provides affordable and accessible neighborhood entertainment for all San Franciscans.
* The Metro is a beautiful and unique community asset that can never be replaced.
