Bethesda Theatre
May 1999 Press Release
Press Release 5/99
Art Deco Society of Washington
Launches Shark Campaign
to Save the Bethesda Theatre
On May 15, the Art Deco Society of Washington will launch a SHARK (Save Historical Architecture from Redevelopment Killer) campaign to save the historic Bethesda Theatre. From positions in front of the Bethesda Metro station and across Wisconsin Avenue from the theatre, ADSW members will distribute flyers, discuss the catastrophic effects of a developer's plans on the National Register-listed theatre, encourage residents to join the SHARK campaign, and solicit signatures on petitions protesting the developer's plans.
The Society will also unveil a poster of a killer shark swallowing the Bethesda theatre as a not-too-subtle statement of what might be "Coming Soon to This Theatre!" According to ADSW spokesperson Linda Lyons, Chair of the Society's Preservation Committee, the shark is a fitting symbol for this campaign because of the terror killer sharks once imparted on theatre patrons viewing the horror classic "Jaws." Now it is the theatre itself that is threatened by the jaws of an irresponsible "apartment shark."
On January 7, the Montgomery County Planning Board granted preliminary approval to E.M. Smith Associates' plan to construct a 10-story apartment building on top of the historic theatre with only a 20-foot setback from Wisconsin Avenue. The massive project, which would include 187 apartments on top of the theatre, 27 multi-family units behind the theatre, and 21 townhouses along the side of the property, would engulf almost all of the theatre, designed by famed architect John Eberson, and overwhelm the small portion that will remain visible.
According to Lyons, the Art Deco Society, a nonprofit preservation organization devoted to increasing the awareness and appreciation of the Art Deco period, is not trying to stop development at the site but believes the apartment building needs to be set further back from the street. Using the titles of the "spaghetti westerns" that were a mainstay of the Bethesda in the 1960s, Lyons suggests, "Scaling the project back to a reasonable setback would still enable the developer to make 'A Fistful of Dollars,' while the current plan will virtually destroy the architectural integrity of the theatre--just 'For a Few Dollars More.'"
Lyons said that the Art Deco Society chose this weekend to launch the campaign for two reasons. Next week marks the 61st anniversary of the opening of the Bethesda Theatre, and the week of May 9 to 15 is Preservation Week. The theatre, originally known as the Boro, held its gala grand opening on May 19, 1938. Now operating as the Bethesda Theatre Café, it is one of the few remaining examples of Art Deco architecture in Bethesda. Just this year, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, although, as Lyons noted, that listing may be jeopardized by the developer's current plans.
Although the Planning Board has already granted preliminary approval of Smith Associates' plan, Lyons noted that the battle is far from over. Because the exterior of the theatre was placed on the county's master plan for historic preservation in 1985, the developer must obtain approval from the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission before construction can begin. Smith Associates is expected to seek such approval sometime this summer.
Lyons is confident that she and veteran preservationist Richard Striner, founding president of ADSW, and other experts that ADSW has lined up to testify at the hearing will be able to convince the Commission that Smith Associates' current plan is not good historic preservation. Lyons noted that the Art Deco Society is prepared to work with Smith Associates and county officials to develop a mutually-acceptable alternative, just as it did in the Silver Theatre and Silver Spring Shopping Center project in Montgomery County and the Greyhound Terminal project at 1100 New York Avenue in the District. Both of those projects are now nationally recognized examples of responsible redevelopment of historical sites. Lyons said that to date, Smith Associates has expressed no interest in working with the Art Deco Society.
Lyons noted that, "Community involvement is an important element in preserving our nation's architectural heritage. We hope the SHARK campaign will energize citizens groups in the Bethesda area to join with the Art Deco Society to prevent a ‘Nightmare Near Elm Street' and preserve the integrity of this important symbol of Bethesda's heritage."
For further information, contact the Art Deco Society of Washington.
Released to the press on May 6, 1999