A Nonprofit Seeks to Reopen Westlake's 1926 Movie Palace as a Community Arts Hub

Strindberg Laboratory, a Los Angeles nonprofit theater company, wants to buy and restore the Westlake Theatre, the 1,949-seat auditorium at 634-642 South Alvarado Street across from MacArthur Park. The group's vision, reported by L.A. Local, includes live performances, film screenings, workshops, lectures, neighborhood meetings and office space for community organizations. The plan is still early: the theater has not been purchased and no major funding has been committed.

The building has already lived through several attempted second acts. It opened in 1926 as a movie palace and showed films until 1991, when the auditorium was converted into an indoor swap meet. Los Angeles' Community Redevelopment Agency bought the property in 2008 with plans for a live entertainment venue, but those ambitions ended when the agency was dissolved in 2012. In 2018, the property was sold to 634 Alvarado LLP, an affiliate of Jamison Properties, which once planned its own restoration. Jamison listed the theater for sale in 2023, yet it still controls the property today.

Jamison's listing opened the door for Strindberg. The nonprofit estimates acquisition and restoration will cost $6 million to $8 million, and it wants to form a steering committee before seeking philanthropic and government funding. In the meantime, the ground floor remains home to small businesses, and the ornate auditorium sits largely unused. Strindberg founder Michael Bierman said the vendors would be part of the conversation, not casualties of redevelopment: "They are part of the community. We're not going to just come in and take over and boot them out."

Last week, roughly 50 people toured the property, including representatives of the Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Homies Unidos, L.A. Commons, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation and Central City Neighborhood Partners, a sign that the neighborhood is paying attention even though no formal agreements have been announced.

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Why the Westlake Theatre's Revival Keeps Stalling, and What Could Be Different

A Century-Old Building With a Pattern of Stalled Rescues

The Westlake Theatre's history is a useful caution for the new proposal. The Community Redevelopment Agency's 2008 plan collapsed when the agency was dissolved, and Jamison Properties' own restoration ambitions after the 2018 purchase did not prevent it from listing the property for sale in 2023. Each ownership change produced interest but no completed renovation. What is different this time is the prospective buyer's identity: a nonprofit whose programming plan is built around community use rather than commercial returns, which changes the incentives but not the fundraising challenge.

What the $6 Million to $8 Million Estimate Actually Signals

The price tag is modest for a 1,949-seat historic venue, which suggests Strindberg is pricing a defined scope of acquisition and restoration work rather than a gold-standard renovation. It also means the project depends on philanthropic and public money, sources that typically require matching funds, feasibility studies and a credible long-term operator. None of those are in place yet, so the estimate is a starting point for negotiations, not a finished budget.

The Vendors Are the Project's Political and Practical Test

Bierman's promise not to displace the ground-floor businesses is both a values statement and a political necessity: pushing out established swap meet and retail tenants would complicate any public funding request and invite community opposition. The open question is whether that promise survives the financial pressure of an $8 million capital campaign, when future operators might want to convert low-rent vendor space into revenue-producing uses.

The Steps That Decide Whether Westlake Theatre's Second Act Happens

  • Strindberg Laboratory should form its steering committee quickly and pursue early philanthropic pledges, since government grants commonly require matching funds and a clear governance structure.
  • Community groups that attended the tour should formalize their interest in writing, which strengthens grant applications and shows the city the venue has anchor users.
  • Jamison Properties, through 634 Alvarado LLP, should state whether it will hold the property for the nonprofit while fundraising proceeds, so Strindberg knows the asset will not be sold to another buyer.
  • Ground-floor vendors should seek written assurances on rents and tenancy from any future owner before the acquisition moves forward.