Fire Destroys Landmark Art Deco Theater

A crowd gathered in front of the Avenal Theater on Sunday, but it wasn’t there for the bright lights and the show. This time, people were looking at the blackened remnants of the theater they considered the life of downtown.

“It’s the cornerstone of downtown,” said City Manager Melissa Whitten. “It was a landmark to the community as a whole.”

Whitten was among the group of people sifting through debris left after the destruction of Saturday night’s fire.

The 1937 Art Deco building was more than a theater. The City Council used it for meetings; schools used it for large assemblies. And residents could still see the latest films. Last week, it was “School of Rock.”