San Jose's Historic Burbank Theater Up For Auction

By Tran Nguyen, San Jose Spotlight

December 15, 2021

The historic Burbank Theater might have a new owner before the end of this year.

The 72-year-old Art Deco icon sits in an unincorporated neighborhood that borders San Jose. The neglected and abandoned theater went up for auction Monday with a starting price of $200,000. The building has received two bids as of Wednesday morning, with the highest bidder offering to pay $600,000 for the vacant building.

The potential sale has sounded alarms from local preservationists and neighboring residents. Many said they want to preserve the building’s original architecture and its iconic sign that bares the name of the neighborhood. They don’t want to lose the neighborhood’s history.

“Physical icons like that bring communities together, and it gives residents an identity,” Jimmy Lew Jr., longtime resident and former president of the Burbank Community Association, told San José Spotlight.

Built in 1949 at 552-560 S. Bascom Ave., the Burbank was a classic neighborhood movie theater that turned into an eyesore in recent years. As movie theaters declined in popularity in the 1970s, the Burbank Theater pivoted to showing adult films, which was controversial at the time, said Ben Leech, executive director of the Preservation Action Council of San Jose.

The building became further underutilized after it lost its parking lot to make way for Interstate 280. Residents and lawmakers have attempted to revitalize the two-story building—with dance studios and a vision of an Islamic center—to little success. A local lawmaker and residents launched a campaign in 2018 to recognize the building’s architectural and historic significance, and the Burbank was added to the Santa Clara County Heritage Resource Inventory.

In 2019, the building went into foreclosure and is now owned by the U.S. Bank National Association. It has sat vacant since, collecting vandalism and graffiti—like many nearby buildings along South Bascom Avenue between Parkmoor Avenue and San Carlos Street.

The key to revitalizing the neighborhood

Since Leech’s nonprofit mobilized to spread word about the auction, many have reached out to offer their support, he said.

“Someone could see this theater as a dilapidated eyesore, and it would be better as a vacant lot, but we’re not hearing that and that’s encouraging,” he told San José Spotlight.

The building is still structurally sound—making it a perfect candidate for a renovation that would preserve the building’s design, he added. He went on two tours of the building ahead of the auction this week.

“San Jose has lost a number of historic theaters over the years,” Leech said. “When we lose these, we’re losing that ability for a place to be a community anchor and a landmark visual icon. Burbank has all those things to the Burbank neighborhood.”

The building was recently added on to PAC-SJ’s “Endangered 8” list of historic structures that are most threatened in San Jose.

“A lot of the residents are excited to see it reinvigorated,” Lew said. “But yet there are some residents who understandably want to tear it down because they’re just sick and tired of seeing an abandoned old building with graffiti on it.”

Despite its current conditions, residents still believe the Art Deco theater from the golden age of cinema, with its distinct neon sign and three storefronts, could be the key to revitalizing the much-neglected area—especially under the right ownership.

“Bascom is a struggling commercial corridor,” Leech said. “With more businesses coming in, I think that would really enhance the neighborhood and the livability for both people who live there and people who work nearby.”

For Leech, it make the most sense to keep the Burbank as an art-based institution. Ken Colson, president of the Burbank Community Association, said several local art groups are interested in the property. But it’s unclear what might happen to the historic building.

San Jose has a track record of tearing down historic buildings for cookie-cutter developments, Lew said. And whoever ends up with the building will still have the parking constraint, which could limit the options of what can replace the building.

“The theater was designated as historic inventory in Santa Clara (County). That means any investor would have to abide by certain rules in terms of of tearing it down or modifying it in some way,” Colson said. “So there would be all kinds of hearings, and we would, of course, show up.”

Bidding closes on Wednesday, but closing date on the property isn’t until January. Leech expects San Jose will learn about the new owner of the Burbank Theater then.

“We don’t have a clear strategy until we know what happens on Wednesday,” he said.

Contact Tran Nguyen at tran@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @nguyenntrann on Twitter.

San José Spotlight is the city's first nonprofit news organization dedicated to independent political and business reporting. Please support our public service journalism by clicking here.