Supervisor Connie Chan Introduces Legislation to Landmark the Alexandria Theatre’s Historical Resources 

On Tuesday, District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan introduced legislation to landmark the Alexandria Theatre’s historical resources. The Alexandria Theatre was built in 1923, closed its doors in 2004 and has remained vacant ever since. 

 “The Alexandria Theatre is a beacon of the Richmond District, welcoming visitors to the west side for the past 100 years, but it has been neglected for nearly two decades,” said Supervisor Connie Chan. “This historical landmarking legislation will strategically preserve key elements of the theater while paving the way for the rest of the building to be developed to benefit the community.” 

The Alexandria Theatre, located at 5400 Geary Boulevard, was built in 1923 in the Egyptian Revival architectural style and designed by one of San Francisco’s leading architectural firms, Reid Brothers. The theater is one of San Francisco’s last remaining historic Neighborhood Movie Palaces, which were known for their bright lights and elaborate character. Its marquee, blade sign, chandeliers and mural represent the beautiful history of San Francisco. This legislation preserves these historic features while making way for the rest of the building to be developed. 

“The Alexandria Theatre building is an iconic part of the Richmond district and I hope to see it given a second life, and continue to serve the neighborhood for another 100 years,” said Woody LaBounty, Richmond Neighbor and Historian.  

The original 2000-seat interior of the Alexandria Theatre was converted to a three-screen multi-plex in 1976 and continued to run new releases until it was shuttered in 2004. Over the past two decades, there have been multiple efforts to develop the space, most recently a plan to turn the theater into a multi-use building including a community pool. This was approved by the San Francisco Planning Department, but due to the pandemic, this plan was abandoned. 

Supervisor Chan has met with the owner of the Alexandria Theatre and will continue to work with them and relevant city departments to help facilitate a plan for the theater with the goal of preserving the critical physical features of the theater while opening up the rest of the parcel to housing.