Chamber Confirms: Rialto Sign To Stay

The following is a press release from the

The iconic neon sign on the Rialto Theatre, a defining feature of one of South Pasadena’s architectural treasures for nearly a century, will not be removed after all, it now appears.

High winds, rusty parts and a slightly swaying giant sign on March 6 had caused the City Building Official to issue the order: take it down.

As of Friday, March 23 the fate of the sign has improved dramatically, with Landmark Theatres, the current operator of the now closed movie palace, announcing that they have a plan to secure it and keep it in place. Once permitted and approved by the City, a contractor will be hired to complete the work.

On a windy Tuesday night the Rialto Theatre blade sign—the 87 year-old, 34’ tall projecting sign—was observed swaying by Police. The next day, Wednesday, March 7, Landmark was ordered by the City’s Building Official to remove it immediately, and to shore up the drooping underside of the marquee.

A grass roots movement to monitor the situation and ensure the best outcome for the historic theatre was mobilized by Chamber of Commerce, Cultural Heritage Commissioners and concerned citizens. It involved experts in historic buildings, the owner of a vacant warehouse, Facebook Fans and more than a few passers-by.

Landmark executives welcomed the assistance, and worked quickly to hire a structural engineer to resolve the public safety concerns without damaging the theatre or the sign. So the City extended the immediate deadline.

When the news first came out that the sign was to be removed, Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Scott Feldmann quickly worked the phones and email network to find a secure location to store the sign. Tom Zanic of Mission Street Investment Partners offered a secure, dry place in the vacant Abbott Labs building.

Insurance was obtained and two sign companies were called in to estimate costs and plan the removal. A sign specialist and members of the League of Historic American Theatres called in from Sacramento with an estimate of the value of the antique sign.

“The Chamber has been working toward getting the Rialto Theatre revitalized for years,” explains Feldmann, “we knew it was vital to make sure that the sign was preserved. One day it’s going to be polished up and relighted. The Rialto should be re-opened, and we’re going to need that sign.”

But before the hasty removal, another plan was hatched. Preservation architect John Lesak, architectural historian Debi Howard-Ardila, Chamber Chairman and architect Steve Dahl and Financing Consultant Christine Fedukowski provided referrals and information.

Escott O. Norton, founder of Friends of the Rialto, and Laurie Allee, the blogger behind Glimpses of South Pasadena, spread the word to a concerned public through Facebook and Twitter. City senior management met with Councilmembers Robert Joe and Dr. Richard Schneider, and agreed to consider an evaluation and a proposal for a safe alternative to removal, after finding that Landmark Theatres had hired Michael Krakower, structural engineer and preservation specialist, to make recommendations.

Michael Krakower, S.E. of Krakower & Associates has extensive experience with historic structures, and is also an author on rehabilitating historic structures. In 2004 he won a L.A. Conservancy Preservation award as the structural engineer for the rehabilitation of the Oaklawn Bridge and Waiting Station, the Greene & Greene designed bridge just up Fair Oaks from the Rialto.

The Rialto Theatre is owned privately by a family trust, and operated by Landmark Theatres, America's largest theatre circuit dedicated to independent film, foreign language cinema, restored classics and documentaries. It was closed by Landmark after an inspection by City officials on February 2, 2010, who determined that certain violations of fire and safety codes would need to be corrected before the public could occupy the theatre again. Since that time no revitalization plans have been announced, and exterior conditions have continued to decay.

Several community interest groups have continued to work together to find a way to reopen the Rialto, including the Chamber, the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation and Friends of the Rialto (Formed in 1985 and reactivated in 2011).

The Cultural Heritage Commission, the city-appointed body charged with identifying and protecting locally significant structures, worked with city staff in the blade sign removal discussions. Then on Thursday, March 15th at a public meeting they appointed an ad hoc oversight committee for the Rialto consisting of members John Lesak and West DeYoung.

The Rialto Theatre has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, State of California historic structure register and is designated local landmark #25 with on the City of South Pasadena’s official inventory. Built in 1925 by noted theatre specialist L.A. Smith and showman C. L. Langley of Fox West Coast Theatres, the Rialto was part of the movie palace & Vaudeville circuit in Southern California, and is one of the few remaining today from that era.

On Thursday, March 22, Landmark informed Chamber president Scott Feldmann that the reserved warehouse space could be released, and the sign would not be removed. Interim City Manager Sergio Gonzalez will inform the public after the Building Official makes a determination, but with all the close work and communication around the issue it is anticipated by Chamber volunteers on the ad hoc team that the plans will be approved. As far as the restoration of the rest of the theater goes, the community must still hold its breath.

Commissioner Debi Howard-Ardila summed up why the community effort to save the sign was so crucial saying, “...we can't take for granted that the Rialto, just as long as it doesn't collapse completely, will always retain this designation status or its historic "integrity" or significance.”

Most historic theaters are revitalized by nonprofit fundraising organizations, according to Herb Stratford of Historic Theatre Consultants in Tucson, Arizona. So the national, state and local listings may mean money as well as honor, in the long run.

For more information on the Rialto Theatre, contact the Chamber of Commerce and request a copy of the Vision Rialto report, or visit www.RialtoSouthPasadena.com to see photos, a timeline and history of the theatre. Facebook users can join Friends of the Rialto. For matters concerning the City or Cultural Heritage Commission, visit www.Ci.South-Pasadena.ca.us or call the City Clerk, Sally Kilby, at 626-403-7230.

Related: 

Check out Laurie Allee's attached video for Rialto history.