The California Theatre opened in 1927 as a movie theatre so refined it was known as the “cathedral of the motion picture.”
It stayed a “movie palace” until the 1970s, when it became a concert venue.
But today, the building looks far different.
The theatre is decaying in the middle of downtown San Diego — fenced off with boarded windows and lots of graffiti.
It’s been“This isn’t serving downtown, this isn’t serving the city. It’s a vacant building,” said San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert.
Her 16th floor high-rise office overlooks the dilapidated structure.
The site could finally see some changes due to a legal settlement reached between the building’s owners, Australia-based developer Caydon Property Group, and the City Attorney’s Office.
It follows a lawsuit filed by the city two years ago.
“The end result will either be they successfully sell the property, hopefully to someone who is ready to develop the site, or they have to demolish it,” Ferbert said. shuttered since 1990.
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