BALDWIN HILLS : New Project Planned Around Theater Site

For well over a year the doors have stayed locked, the “Temporarily Closed” message on the dusty marquee growing more ominous as it became evident that the Baldwin Theater, the West’s only black-owned first-run movie house, might never reopen.

But now, thanks to the collective interest of Concerned Citizens of South-Central, the Baldwin seems poised for a renaissance. The community organization, which helps foster economic development, is on the verge of purchasing the theater and transforming it into a family entertainment complex that will house not only a movie theater, but a theater for live performances as well as space for community meetings and special functions.

“This is a historic theater. There’s no place right now in the community where we can go for movies, no place for entertainment,” said Juanita Tate, Concerned Citizens’ executive director. “It’s important for us to take control of a place like this. . . . If we don’t invest in ourselves, who’s going to invest in us?”

The theater’s future has been uncertain since 1993, when Inner City Cinemas--a partnership between the AMC movie theater chain and Baldwin owners Economic Resources Corp.--dissolved, and AMC sued its partners, alleging mismanagement. Inner City declared bankruptcy, and the Baldwin abruptly closed.

Though residents and others expressed surprise and sorrow at the closing of the neighborhood theater that was legendary for its cushy seats and emphasis on black films, no one came forward with any plans to revive it.

But Concerned Citizens had a plan, and turned to its real estate and business development subsidiary--Community Urban Reinvestment Enterprise. CURE assembled a management and consulting team to map out costs, construct an acquisition plan and contract a theater operator and film buyer. The three-screen Baldwin will show second-run films and charge between $1.75 and $2.50 per ticket--enabling an entire family to afford an evening out at the show, Tate said.

To cover the $650,000 price for purchase of the theater and renovations, CURE is negotiating with Founders National Bank for a loan of half that amount. The balance, which will be raised as equity, will be obtained from $20,000 limited partnerships or individual donations to the newly established Baldwin Building Fund, said CURE president Sherri Franklin and project director Van Scott.

Each donor will become a member sponsor of the theater, which is being re-christened the Baldwin Entertainment Center. Members donating $100 or more will get free tickets for films and events at the theater.

Concerned Citizens held its first fund-raiser and informational forum last week in front of the theater, garnering donations between $3 and $300 as well as plenty of pledges for construction work and other in-kind donations. Franklin is scheduling more fund-raisers in order to start rehab work by next month and complete the complex by the July 29 target date.

Planned renovations include revamped flooring, bathrooms, heating and air conditioning, and asbestos removal. Tate talks eagerly of other, more aesthetic improvements that the community has long wanted but never got at the Baldwin: a concession area offering a menu of hot links, vegetarian burgers and cappuccino; a piano bar and courtyard; and foreign-language films with an emphasis on African imports.

Tate pointed out that the Building Fund is banking with the recently chartered South-Central Federal People’s Credit Union, and so is helping one agency get on its feet as it finds its own.

And what about the nearby Magic Johnson Theater multiplex, slated to open at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in June? Tate dismisses the notion of conflicting interests.

“There’s more than enough people to support two theaters,” she said. “Nobody even considers that when 20 theaters go up on the Westside--they just do it. Black people make up (a significant amount) of the movie-going public. We’ve got to bring that money back home.”

Information: (213) 299-4097.