The Boyd Theatre has survived closure, a preservation battle, and the demolition of most of its auditorium, but now its iconic marquee may be next to go.
Pearl Properties, which owns Philadelphia’s last great downtown movie palace, wants to remove the theater-style marquee and modernize the recessed storefront, writes Jake Blumgart for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The argument is that the current design has driven away potential retail tenants. However, for preservation advocates, that’s a step too far.
“The loss of the marquee would drastically degrade the historic character of the building,” said Paul Steinke, president of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.
Originally opened in 1928, the Boyd Theatre became a beloved Art Deco landmark in Center City and hosted premieres for films including Philadelphia and Rocky III.
After closing in 2002, the theater became the focus of a yearslong preservation fight that ultimately led to the demolition of most of the auditorium in 2015, though the facade and lobby were preserved under a compromise agreement.
Now, that hard-won remnant is under pressure again.
The back and forth fight over the Boyd Theatre served as a catalyst in resurrecting Philadelphia’s historic preservation movement. It also led to the addition of more Philadelphia buildings and neighborhoods to the historic register, to protect them from demolition.
The Architectural Review Committee will meet Tuesday, May 26, to weigh the proposed changes and deliver its recommendation to the full commission.
To learn more about the Boyd Theatre controversy and how both sides are feeling about it, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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