Will the Burbank Theater survive as part of San Jose?

When the San Jose City Council recently approved the annexation of the Burbank Theater, several possibilities suddenly opened up for the geographic landmark on Bascom Avenue. Of course, one possible fate —  it could be torn down for an entirely new development.

That’s why the Preservation Action Council has launched a petition drive to encourage the city to designate the Art Moderne theater, originally built in 1949, a city historical landmark. You can get more information and add your name to the petition at www.preservation.org/burbank.

“The theater is a litmus test on what gives a city character,” PAC-SJ Executive Director Ben Leech said. “There’s going to be someone who says, ‘That ugly thing, there’s nothing historic about it. Tear it down.’ But I happen to think it’s buildings like this that make a place interesting, even when they’re vacant.”

In its nearly 75 year history, the Burbank has been an arthouse cinema, a porn theater and home to a dance studio. Former Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager, who represented the unincorporated Burbank area, pushed for its addition to the county’s Heritage Resource Inventory with hopes that the marquee and three-sided sign could be preserved and restored. The building was sold at auction for $1.6 million in late 2021, and the new owners are reportedly mulling an offer to buy the property for more than $3 million.

The annexation isn’t official until the county’s Local Area Formation Committee certifies it, and there’s an interesting wrinkle that could delay any city landmark status. The resolution approved by the council states the city reserves the right to not file for certification until a development proposal for the site has been submitted or approved. There isn’t one at the moment, so the city could leave the Burbank in limbo until there is one — though no one at the city has said that right will be exercised.

A challenge to re-using or redeveloping the theater site had been its lack of available parking, but annexation to San Jose would solve that because of the city’s recent elimination of its minimum parking requirements. Leech said that while PAC-SJ — which supported the annexation — sees the potential for the auditorium to be re-used as a community meeting site, the group is open to a restoration and creative re-use of the space.

“Annexation to the city should come along with recognition that this is a historic resource. What we think that will do is it will telegraph to the development community that this is not just a tear down site, and that’s not to say it has to stay completely as is,” Leech said. “We’re not trying to save a vacant eyesore, we’re saving a potential catalyst for revitalizing that area for the city. And I don’t think we’re alone.”

Indeed, Alex Shoor — executive director of Catalyze SV, a nonprofit group that advocates for smart development — also spoke in favor of the annexation at the city council meeting and expressed his organization’s interest in being part of any community engagement process.

“Too often in San Jose, we lose hope and say that this will all get paved over or this needs to go away,” said Shoor, who often checked on the building when he worked in Yeager’s office, “and I think there is a real possibility for this site to be a vibrant new place again that balances the future and economic development with the celebration of the past.”

If both the Preservation Action Council and Catalyze SV are on the same side of an issue, it’s probably worth looking at twice.

ROBOTS, ROBOTS EVERYWHERE: It’s National Robotics Week, and I was hoping to make a joke about that but ChatGPT isn’t being helpful. Instead, I’ll let you know that InOrbit Robot Space in Mountain View is hosting a number of public events to celebrate and break down the mystery of modern robots working with society.

The activities include a visit Monday with competitors who’ll be battling it out at the 15th annual RoboGames, which are taking place this weekend at the Alameda County Fairgrounds; a demo of a 3D printing system; and a panel discussion Thursday about Generative AI hosted by the Berkeley Haas Alumni Network’s Silicon Valley Chapter. With the exception of the panel talk, you can just drop in for the events for free at 293 Castro Street. Check out the schedule at www.inorbit.ai/robotspace/community.

NETWORK OF SUPPORT: Along with everyone else in Bay Area media, I was devastated to hear about retired KCBS radio reporter Mike Colgan, who has been paralyzed after a fall in early March near his home in Arizona. For me, seeing Colgan with his microphone and recorder at an event was a reassuring sign that I was at the right place. But others, like retired KGO-TV newsman Rigo Chacon, said they don’t think of him as a competitor.

“When I think of Mike Colgan, I don’t necessarily think of the Bay Area Hall of Fame guy,” Chacon said. “I think mostly of my best friend Mike Colgan. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the horrific medical challenge he’s confronting.”