New Mission coming back to life

One of the few movie theaters left in The City with any of the flair and flourish of film’s grand era is slated for a “massive” renovation.

Alamo Drafthouse at the New Mission is the latest dream project of Austin-based theater owner Tim League. The Berkeley-born League announced on his blog that he wants to bring an Alamo to Mission Street, and he wants to do it the right way.

League is working with neighborhood and preservation groups to maintain the New Mission’s distinctive architecture and interiors. Alamo’s flagship theater in Austin — The Ritz — was also an historic renovation, with one big theater being split into two.

Alamo’s plan is for the balcony to be split into small boutique theaters, but to maintain nearly all of the “amazing” architectural details:

“We are planning on a full and complete historic renovation …  We would still preserve the massive downstairs screen and transform that space into a potential premiere venue with state of the art sound and picture.”

No matter how big your TV set gets, there’s still something special about going out to see an actual movie in an actual theater. There’s something even more special about a server bringing you and your buds drinks while watching some indie films or even live music.

Alamo’s recipe of cool food, drinks and a serious approach to movies pays off with great customer reviews and stellar Yelp ratings. The company is known to strictly enforce its no-talking policies, including kicking out customers who use cell phones.

The 94-year-old New Mission has been in disrepair for most of the last decade. Ownership changes and historic status have thwarted attempts at redevelopment until now, when the original historic use of the property will be preserved.

Jesse Garnier

Jesse Garnier is the editor and founder of SFBay. A Mission District native, he also teaches journalism as associate professor at San Francisco State University.