With plans for condos to rise where the Giant Value store at 2558 Mission Street currently stands in the works, tomorrow San Francisco’s Architectural Review Committee will review plans to convert the adjacent New Mission Theater to a five-screen venue with food and adult beverage service operated by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
Inside, the theater would be converted from one to five screens, “utilizing and dividing the existing balcony levels (one auditorium on the ground floor, three new auditoriums on the lower balcony, and one new auditorium on the upper balcony)” while the projection room on the first floor would become a bar.
On the outside, the plan “would maintain and restore the character-defining elements on the exterior, including the Art Deco façade; free-standing pylon sign with neon tubes spelling out “New Mission;” cantilevered marquee; and streamlined parapet.”
UPDATE: By way of a plugged-in reader, a (good) feeling for the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema culture in the form of their R-rated “Don’t Talk or Text” PSA:
Though a big single screen is more fun than many small screens at least it is run by Alamo Drafthouse which has an interesting business model. They also have one of the most hilarious pre-movie PSAs
That was amazing! Thanks for sharing MoD. I hope they maintain the same policy when they open here.
I am expecting a call to arms from preservationists who want to keep Mission Street blighted with its under-utilized movie theater buildings and closed storefronts. Gentrification!
Soon the Valencia kids will start crossing over the invisible Hipster fence that is being pulled up after dark.
Next door to Foreign Cinema and across the street from Doc’s Clock? Yeah, I think the “Valencia kids” will have no problem frequenting this place (if it goes through)
More like the 60 year olds who regularly dine on Valencia will begin to feel more comfortable on Mission. Valencia as nexus for hipster kids was pre-“hipster” as derogatory.
^^^
Ha Ha. Spoken like a broke down old used to be hipster. “Back in my day we didn’t call each other hipsters, when we played shuffleboard. We didn’t go to food trucks, the tamale lady came to us.”
yeah, it’ll probably be an era of $40 movies, but come on. it’s great, let’s get it done. stipulate $5 matinees on weekends or something.
Adult beverages? Looks like we’ll be carving out a(nother) exception in the Mission Alcoholic Beverage Ban. Project Sponsor better get in tight with Supervisor Campos and “the community”
@anon.ed: I really think your rather ageist comment about “60 year olds dining on Valencia” was not really called for. what was your point, exactly?
You do seem to comment in a negative way a lot here. Why not be a little nicer?
I find you irritating more and more.
Yea! I miss the Parkway. This sounds fun.
@ futurist,
That comment wasn’t negative. I am all for people who are post “hipster” age dining on Valencia street in comfort. It’s happening, it’s a fact, and frankly I’m there myself. It was meant to state that the reality is, Valencia isn’t just for kids any more.
As to the rest of your words? You missed the mark widely, once again. You do that oftenly on this website. I’ll leave the irritating aspect alone. You’re just a guy who says stuff that occasionally is in my direction, on the internet. And you obviously put little thought into much of what you type sometimes. Have a good one.
ha. Sorry, “oftenly” isn’t a word really. My bad. Still no edit function on here, after all this time. OK.
New Mission yes!; Harding tomorrow, please.
[anon.ed],
True Valencia is not for kids only. Bringing good food (and higher prices) will do that.
There are a few incursions of the Valencia crowd here and there after dark. It’s getting close to critical mass though.
But I love having a traditional non-self-conscious greasy spoon like Jim’s at 20th. Nope, they do not serve Goat Croquette.
Anyone have any idea how it went / what next steps are?
I just stumbled across another reason to like the Alamo Drafthouse. They’re one of the forces behind the 42nd Street Forever video series: http://www.mondo-digital.com/42ndstreet.html
The 42nd Street Forever videos are a collection of old theatrical trailers from schlocky B movies. If you’ve never seen one of these videos then please seek it out, they are an amazing document of the grindhouse producers and incredibly funny despite trying to be serious.
One of these videos would be great for a pre-Oscars party screening.
This is terrific news. Nobody should worry and fear the word multiplex. I’ve lived in the Mission for 29 years, BUT I have had to live/work in Austin on and off for the past two years. I hate Austin, frankly, and miss the Mish, but the one bright point has been that Austin is a killer film town. Mostly due to the Alamo Drafthouse.
The Austin theaters really do cinema very well. The Alamo Drafthouse is a great place to watch films. Great bar, great food, you can relax and watch the film, eat, get waited on, and they take cinema seriously. They show great old classics, plus all the best independents.
This is a dream come true for that theater on Mission, and for Mission Street, which keeps getting better and better. Folks in our area have been dreaming to rescue that place for years. The Sundance Cinema tried to do something like this business model over at the Kabuki, but the results haven’t been as great. They don’t have good taste. The Alamo people have good taste.
There’s another place in Austin btw that’s even better, the Violet Crown. I hope the new Alamo Mission is at that level. It’s a restaurant that’s worth going to alone, regardless of the movie. Handcrafted cocktails, really great vibe. The New Mission will have to place at that level to do well.
I hardly recognize my Mission District from almost 30 years ago, but frankly, that is a good thing. I roll my eyes when people complain. The bad stuff used to be really really bad. Now, I just adore what it’s turning into. But I should, because way back then, I bought my big ole house on a great block in 1991, so I can hardly be a hater. I can also hardly imagine how hard it is for a 22 year old to move here and try to get a foot hold. You can’t. You gotta go elsewhere.
But for us early adopters, and for all the old families in the neighborhood, this is really going to be great. All they need is a good film programmer, and we’re all going to be going to the New Mission.
I hope they adopt the rules of the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, where they’re very serious about texting and using your phone during the show. What will the hipsters do when they can’t have their faces glued to their tiny screens or hit update every 5 seconds on their Facebook and Twitter feeds? This isn’t AMC.
Uh huh. A hipster who checks his or her phone during a movie. “Hipsters” love film and cinema, and that’s very anti-hipster behavior. LOL, man, the things people say on here. I think by hipster you mean, “overly self-involved person.” sure, that’s one component, cw would have it , about the “hipster.” but no.