El Campanil foundation receives notice to leave after theater sale

Antioch's storied El Campanil Theatre, a beloved cultural cornerstone of the East Contra Costa waterfront since 1928, faces an uncertain future following its acquisition by Legendary Movement Church and the subsequent eviction notice issued to its nonprofit operating foundation. The landmark 1,000-seat auditorium on West 2nd Street has functioned for decades as the region's cultural anchor, presenting symphonic concerts, youth theater, and classic film retrospectives. Representatives for the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation confirmed they received formal notice terminating their tenancy, barring all public stage productions after Monday, November 30.

The unexpected change in ownership threatens to leave East Contra Costa County without a fully equipped public performance hall, jeopardizing dozens of scheduled winter recitals, civic assemblies, and holiday traditions. Regional youth theater troupes and school music ensembles that rely on the venue's historic stage are now scrambling to identify alternate auditoriums across the Tri-Valley and Diablo Valley corridors. Furthermore, downtown Antioch restaurateurs and merchants who depend on evening theater audiences for vital weekend patronage fear the closure could severely diminish waterfront economic activity.

Originally constructed during the golden age of cinema to host both vaudeville showcases and motion pictures, El Campanil was saved from permanent demolition in 2001 through a grassroots fundraising campaign backed by local civic leaders and municipal grants. The preservation foundation meticulously restored the building's intricate Spanish Colonial Revival facade, ornate plasterwork, and historic theater organ, re-establishing it as a regional entertainment gem. City officials and historic preservationists have long considered the facility an essential civic institution that bridges downtown Antioch's working-class heritage with modern community arts.

While neither the church congregation nor the former private property owners have released financial records regarding the purchase price, church administrators confirmed their intent to utilize the facility for religious gatherings. The preservation foundation announced that all performances scheduled through Sunday, November 29, will proceed as planned, with the box office at 602 West 2nd Street maintaining regular weekday operating hours from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Foundation directors are actively auditing capital equipment, historical archives, and theatrical assets acquired through community donations over the past twenty-five years.

The preservation foundation's board of directors is scheduled to meet with legal counsel and municipal representatives this Thursday to determine whether to file formal appeals or seek temporary injunctive relief. Arts advocates are encouraging East Bay residents to attend upcoming Antioch City Council sessions to voice support for municipal mediation between the church and the nonprofit foundation. Community members seeking ticket information or wishing to contribute to the foundation's relocation emergency fund can visit the El Campanil Theatre web portal or call 925-757-9500.