UPDATE 6/3/2016: Azusa City Council to RECONSIDER the Laemmle Theatre Mixed-Use project for Block 36 on Monday, June 6th at 7PM! Click here for details.
ONE FINAL UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Azusa City Council did NOT select our project for Downtown Azusa.
Sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to speak and email. The overwhelming display of public support at the council meeting warmed our little lamb hearts. We appreciate all of you.
On Monday, May 16th at 7:30PM the Azusa City Council is scheduled to vote on our proposal to build a new movie theater in Downtown Azusa and we hope you’ll support us by speaking at the meeting! Skip to meeting details.
The proposed “Laemmle Theatre Mixed-Use Project” includes a five screen, 300 seat movie theater (with programming similar to our Pasadena venue), 108 apartment units, retail/restaurant space, an above ground parking garage, and an outdoor plaza. Our project would occupy “Block 36” at the southeast corner of East Foothill Boulevard and North Azusa Avenue in Downtown Azusa.
City Council will choose between our project and a competing project that includes a bowling alley instead of a movie theater. Some of the competitive bowling players are definitely up for that, they’ve been researching ‘best bowling ball for a stroker‘ so they get themselves to the top of the leaderboard (that hasn’t even been built yet!). There has been a lot of talk on both sides, so we are in two minds about whether to choose the bowling alley or the bright lights of a Laemmle theater!
A new Laemmle theater in Azusa would operate in addition to our existing Pasadena and Claremont venues allowing us to bring more independent, foreign, and documentary films to audiences in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valley areas.
Fans of more mainstream films needn’t worry. You’ll still be able to catch big Hollywood movies like CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR at the nearby Foothill 10 operated by Regency Theatres. We’ll focus on indie and art film. We think there’s enough room for BOTH our theaters to thrive.
Here’s the important part: Public support for the project at this City Council meeting is critical. You can help by attending. Supporters wishing to speak must arrive before 7:30pm to fill out and submit a Blue Card.
The Azusa City Council meeting is scheduled for 7:30pm on Monday, May 16th:
Azusa City Auditorium 213 East Foothill Boulevard, Azusa, CA 91702 (map)
If you can’t attend, you can still help by emailing Azusa Council Members in advance so they have written evidence that the community supports this project. Please email council members before May 16th. Include City Manager Troy Butzlaff in all correspondence to ensure your support is noted in the official record.
Here are their email addresses:
City Manager Troy Butzlaff – tbutzlaff@ci.azusa.ca.us
Mayor Joseph Romero Rocha – jrocha@ci.azusa.ca.us
Mayor Pro Tem Angel A. Carrillo – acarrillo@ci.azusa.ca.us
Council Member Edward J. Alvarez – ealvarez@ci.azusa.ca.us
Council Member Robert Gonzales – robertgonzales@ci.azusa.ca.us
Council Member Uriel E. Macias – umacias@ci.azusa.ca.us
Please share this post with any other community members interested in voicing their opinion on this exciting project!
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
The Laemmle Theatre would be a wonderful project to bring to Azusa. With the Gold Line right up the street, this would bring crowds of people to downtown Azusa. This is what we need. Very exciting, welcome Laemmle.
I predict the Laemmle will be bankrupt within 3 yrs after it opens
What about downtown Ontario, the city is really cleaning up nicely there is even an arts district down town near Holt and Euclid.
I would love to see a theater at that locations, I’ve bee a patron since I was in high school, i am now in n my 50’s, My children, in collage nos also enjoy films played at this theaters,
This is a great opportunity for Azusa residents to have other opinions when it comes to movie choices,
there is a missconseption that Laemmle shows only foreign movies it has a nice mix of all to satisfy the region as a whole and not compete with other theaters. Azusa is perfectly located in San Gabriel Valley to satisfy all.
Please, come and support this project. It will be great for Azusa and the existing Theater in town.
I think that either Covina or West Covina, which is near Cal Poly, would be the most opportune location, or Rancho Cucamonga, which includes Chaffey College and all of the western northern Inland Valley, would benefit much more than a Azusa location.
I e-mailed Midnight Special Bookstore, when they closed in Santa Monica in 2002, and asked them to look into transferring their operations to Rancho Cucamonga and argued that R.C. is in great need of arts and culture like the Midnight Special Bookstore can share.
I ask that Gregg look into Rancho Cucamonga as his Family’s next movie theater location and NOT the city of Azusa which is geographically and socially much too close to the city of Pasadena. Thank you.
I think this would be a nice project, however, I would reserve an auditorium for more mainstream films to draw a broader audience.
I do NOT think that the city of Azusa is the proper geographic location. If Laemmle wants to spread arts and culture to as many people as possible, then their Pasadena location is doing fine for the WEST San Gabriel Valley. Perhaps a Covina or West Covina location would do much better for their aims, seriously. I still think that a Rancho Cucamonga, not Ontario, location would do well because an arts and culture boost is needed there the most. Azusa is too close to Pasadena.
My mother lives here. She knows the mayor. I will tell her to talk to him. And I will email the proper parties. How exciting!!!
I just emailed everyone on that list provided! Crossing my fingers you guys are coming to Azusa!
How many units are affordable and at what income level?
All units in our project and in the competing project will be regular market priced units.
I wish you would come back to DTLA…I really miss the Laemmle & the selection of interesting films shown in the theaters.
I’ll be there!
Thanks, Doug!!!!