The UA Berkeley theater, a historic movie palace from 1932, is at risk of demolition due to new development plans. Renowned for its Art Deco architecture and as the last commercial cinema in downtown Berkeley, it holds sentimental value for the community. Local residents and a group called Save the UA Berkeley are advocating for its preservation, highlighting its status on the California Register of Historical Resources. They argue that the proposed demolition requires a thorough environmental impact assessment to ensure proper community consideration before it's too late.
In a capitalist society, the owner of a building can mostly do what they like with it. However, the law recognizes that urban downtowns are also shared spaces.
The UA Berkeley on Shattuck Avenue (also known as the Regal UA) is the last commercial cinema in downtown Berkeley that could be saved; it retains its Art Deco splendor.
The theater is on the California Register of Historical Resources; the proposal to demolish it should be assessed under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Each time I visited the UA, I found a new detail I hadn't noticed before: a light fixture, a carved medallion, or a decorative vent plate.
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