Developer Unveils Plan to Preserve La Reina Facade but Build Stores

A plan to preserve the facade of the historic La Reina movie theater in Sherman Oaks was unveiled Tuesday night by developer Dennis Bass, who said he intends to build stores in the interior of the Art Deco theater, designated a historic monument in March by the City Council.

But members of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn., who heard Bass pledge to keep the Ventura Boulevard theater’s facade, were little mollified.

Armed with a city report that predicts traffic gridlock on Ventura Boulevard within a few years when six buildings under construction are completed, they complained that Bass’ proposed La Reina Fashion Plaza would aggravate congestion.

Parking Problems

Several in the group of 55 said patrons and employees of the shopping center, which is to include the area around the theater, would park in nearby residential neighborhoods.

“We already have people park on our street all day,” said a resident who lives two blocks from Ventura Boulevard. “Your shopping center will just make it worse.”

Although City Council declared the 875-seat La Reina a historic monument, the designation only protects the structure for 360 days, during which time the owner cannot demolish or alter the building without approval from the city’s Cultural Heritage Board.

The moratorium is designed to enable those who want the structure preserved to present purchase offers to the owner.

The one-year moratorium begins when a demolition or building permit is applied for. Howard Katz, attorney for Bass, said the developer will apply for a permit within a month.

After the moratorium ends, there appears to be little the city can do to prevent Bass from proceeding with his plans.

6-Story Zone

The property is in a six-story commercial zone, so Bass would not need a zoning change to build a two-story shopping center.

The La Reina, Spanish for “The Queen,” is the first theater in the San Fernando Valley to be designated a historic monument.

According to a report to the council from its Recreation, Library and Cultural Affairs Committee recommending preservation, the La Reina is the “most stylistically sophisticated theater ever built in the Valley.”

Some of the ideas used in the theater’s design were so novel when it was built in 1938 that architect S. Charles Lee protected them with patents.