Council Rejects Challenge to Theater Renovation Plan

This could be the last year moviegoers will be able to watch films from the balcony of the landmark Rialto Theatre after the City Council rejected a challenge to a plan to add four smaller screens to the balcony area.

Assistant City Manager Anne McIntosh said the council’s unanimous vote last week to reject an appeal by former Mayor Robert Wagner removed the last obstacle to renovation plans for the 72-year-old Spanish Baroque theater. She said work is expected to begin on the project before the end of the year.

Landmark Theatre Corp., in cooperation with the city’s cultural heritage commissioners, plans to build theaters in the balcony while preserving the integrity of the main auditorium, which is falling into disrepair.