Thank you to all of you who turned out tonight at Rainbow's End to see the official unveiling of the plans for the adaptive re-use of the beloved Huntridge Theater.

I hope that you are as excited as we at the Save the Huntridge Steering Committee are.

For those of you who couldn't attend, here are the plans.  Remember these plans call for keeping the not only the original building, marquee and signage but also the old Bank Building and Post Office as well.  Everything would be done in the Streamline Moderne look of the original building.

Eli Mizrachi is not going to tear down the building and start over.  He is hoping to engage retail and business owners to invest in the Huntridge Building.  It would be perfect for small shops, an art gallery, professional offices. a wine bar that serves sandwiches, artisans cheeses and desserts.  The second floor would have a balcony that the offices could open out to.

The plans also call for two pads on the property sited on Charleston Blvd for a Starbucks/Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf/Peet's Coffee/Java Detour type business and a fast-food restaurant.  Both of these structures would be in the same Streamline Moderne look to complement the main building.

While many had hoped that it could remain a theater or performing arts complex, the reality is that the theater seats less than 1,000 people and would require that it be standing room only seven nights a week whether it was live theater, jazz, film or some combination of all of the above.  All of which makes it next to impossible to be successful.

It is an incredibly bold plan that would enhance not only the corner of Maryland Parkway and Charleston Blvd but the nearby neighborhoods as well.  With the right mix of retail and professional offices this could be the anchor and gateway for a whole new day in the neighborhood!

Let us know what you think. by posting your comments.

The next step is the Sept. 25th Planning Commission meeting.  So stay tuned for more details on that!

 

 

We need your help! 

Las Vegan Kathleen Bell has asked for our help in finding out information about this mural.  It was acquired by her father, a prominent Las Vegan, Charles Bell, but she is trying to find out more info.  It is about 3.5' x 6'.  It looks like it was done in the early 1970s when many of the Hollywood stars featured in the mural were undergoing a career renaissance.

It is believed that this is part of a bigger mural and that it hung behind the registration desk of a Las Vegas Strip Hotel.

If you recognize it or have any information about the creator of this mural and/or why he was commissioned please let us know!

I just received an email from Kathleen Bell with some more sketchy info:

Folklore has it that an Art Director or Sketch Artist, someone of that
ilk came to Las Vegas in the (50's - 60's?) gambled, couldn't pay the
large debt in full. Rather than being escorted to the desert, this
person was allowed to paint this piece and it hung in the (unknown)
Casino's coffee shop. I am unable to find a signature. There may be
another piece somewhere that has a signature, or perhaps the artist did
not want it known.

Many unanswered questions. I am trying to ascertain
the veracity of the folklore associated with the chiaroscuro with
respect to the identity of the artist, the year it was painted, the
location and exactly where it hung and for how long, (casino & location
in the casino), who commissioned said piece, as well as the particular
format and initial ownership. Another curiousity, why was he allowed
to paint this instead of being escorted to the desert, a sweetheart
deal for sure.