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Developer Proposes Wrecking Ball for Former Capitola Theater
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Developer Proposes Wrecking Ball for Former Capitola Theater
Fire Chief Behind the Move in Capitola Village
By R.T. Sideman
Eighty years after a fire ravaged the famed Capitola Hotel, burning its 160 rooms, a dancehall, skating rink, and a piece of Village history, a portion of the site will likely be cleared once again to make way for a hotel.
Plans are moving forward to tear down the boarded-up Capitola Theater, built on the oceanfront property after World War II, before the end of the year. The old theater, which barely changed in the years it operated from 1948 to 1996, is well regarded by a nostalgic few.
But developer Barry Swenson Builder, joined by mostly enthusiastic members of the city council, say that it is time to look forward.
The proposed facility, at 60 rooms, would be more modest in scale than the original landmark. Still, Barry Swenson Builder envisions a destination hotel with the same grandeur and perhaps similar architecture.
Chris Ferrante of Barry Swenson Builder said that demolition of the Capitola Theater was in everyone's best interest because "the cost to repair, reinforce and protect the building from further damage and deterioration is prohibitive."
The company has sought demolition permits from the city; the building could be razed before the end of the year.
Architecture experts and historians say the old theater building does not have enough historical value to warrant its preservation. The building's exterior is plain, lacking the high style of other mid-century theaters, they said. It did not match the glamour of the earlier movie houses such as the Rio Theatre and Del Mar Theatre in Santa Cruz.
Robert Cartier, a consultant who analyzes historic value, said in a report to the city council that the building does not appear to qualify as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or the California Register of Historic Resources.
And Daniel Kostelec, a city building inspector, declared the building a fire and public safety risk in its current condition. Kostelec cited a lack of weather protection, dilapidated electrical and plumbing systems, significant levels of mold spores, and a weakened building structure that is in danger of collapse. He recommended that the city issue the demolition permit.
"Our recent experience with the Rispin fire in Capitola [in May] has made it clear that leaving the theater building vacant is not an adequate level of mitigation," he said. "The building's location below the hillside of eucalyptus trees represents the potential for a serious conflagration."
Central Fire District Chief Bruce Clark, who had pushed to have the city and developer consider demolishing the building, said that a potential fire brought other dangers. He said his staff suspects the building is contaminated with lead-base paint and asbestos material.
Swenson bought the site for about $6 million in 2006. During most of the decade from 1996 to Swenson's purchase, Bayshore Lyric Opera managed periodic productions that created much acclaim but little sustanability.
Oozing with Character
City Councilman Dennis Norton said a new hotel on the 27,000 square-foot property would "start a revitalization of the Village."
In its day, the Capitola Hotel was the center of the 19th Century tourist stop, served mostly by railroad and a nearby depot.
The Capitola Hotel was constructed in 1895 on the site of a 30-room hotel that was part of Capitola founder Frederick Hihn's original vision for the resort town.
Like many of the California beach resorts, the Capitola Hotel was not constructed to stave off fires.
After it burned in 1929, nearly two decades would pass before the Capitola Theater was built, debuting in 1948 with the Gene Kelley film "The Pirate."
Owners Joseph and Racine Jacobs of Burlingame also ran the Soquel Cinema.
Their daughter Audrey left her teaching job in the Central Valley to help her parents with the grand opening. She never returned to the classroom, and eventually became a fixture at the theater through to its last days.
The theater screened films, hosted society events and entertained summer visitors after World War II. Little changed at the theater over the years.
Known for its cheap tickets and affordable popcorn, it showed second-run films. Ticket prices in 1987 were just $2.50 for adults and $1.50 for kids, a low price for the time. To accommodate guests, smoking was allowed in the theater.
"There was a crying room, where you could take your babies and still be able to watch the films," said Capitola historian Carolyn Swift. "It was real old fashioned."
Cigarette smoking inside was the norm. At some point, the seats were carved into smoking and nonsmoking sections, but it was still tough to breathe sometimes, Swift said. The bathrooms were never remodeled and a sofa in the lobby was also original, Swift added.
"The funky chairs, the smell … it was dark and damp and smoky and icky, though never exactly dirty," she said. "It was oozing with character."
Local historian Sandy Lydon jokes that the floors wore a kaleidoscope of bubble gum that accumulated over the course of 49 years.
In declining health, Audrey Jacobs sold the property in 1996 to Capitola Partners, then again for $1.6 million to a Silicon Valley millionaire and his wife, a former opera singer. The couple launched the Bayshore Lyric Opera.
The new owners, Papken and Claire Der Torossian, converted it into a live theater and opera venue.
The couple began courting potential buyers in 2005. One unnamed buyer backed out, but the Der Torossians later engaged Barry Swenson in a new round of negotiations. The sale ultimately included a land swap for some properties in Santa Clara County, with a total sale price for the theater settled in the $6 million range.
Hotel Plans
"We want the hotel to be successful and publicly enjoyable," said Norton.
One of the city's biggest sticking points, Norton said, will be parking. He would like to see the developer or future hotel operator share the cost of building a multi-story parking lot at the city-owned Pacific Cove Park.
Some council members envision the parking lot sharing valet services with the hotel. But arriving guests would still swing through the chronically congested Esplanade, they note.
Barry Swenson Builder representatives have already met with community representatives, and there have been three or four designs put forth so far. The final plans have not been hammered out.
"This is going to be the centerpiece of the Village," Norton said. "I told them I feel like they need some design changes."
There will be plenty of public input before the project is approved by the city, he said. Completion of a hotel could be at least four years away, he said.
Following the same model as Seascape Resort, the developers want to build a hotel that operates 10 months out of the year, while selling rights for each room for the remaining two months. The model helps Barry Swenson Builder recoup costs more quickly.
"This hotel is not only going to be a great income source for the city, but it also makes Capitola a destination year round. It makes the Village more interesting."
— Mary Bryant contributed to this article.
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