El Campanil foundation receives notice to leave after theater sale

The El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation has been formally served with a notice terminating its tenancy at the historic downtown Antioch performing arts landmark following the property's sudden sale to Legendary Movement Church. The ninety-eight-year-old venue, which originally opened its doors on West 2nd Street in 1928, has long served as East Contra Costa County's premier civic auditorium for live theatrical productions and community concerts. Under the legal terms outlined in the notice, the nonprofit foundation will be prohibited from staging performances or operating inside the historic building after Monday, November 30.

The pending eviction has sent shockwaves through the regional arts community, creating widespread disruption for local performers, dance academies, touring musical acts, and thousands of theater patrons across Antioch, Pittsburg, and Oakley. The sudden deadline leaves multiple holiday concerts, children's ballet recitals, and classic film screenings scheduled for the winter season in severe jeopardy of cancellation. Local small businesses along the downtown waterfront, including family-owned restaurants and boutique shops that depend on theater crowds for evening foot traffic, expressed acute apprehension regarding the loss of downtown's primary cultural draw.

Built in the classic Spanish Colonial Revival style with a grand proscenium arch and ornate interior murals, El Campanil Theatre was rescued from dereliction in the early 2000s by civic volunteers and municipal leaders who formed the preservation foundation. Over the past two decades, the foundation invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in seismic reinforcements, theatrical lighting, audio systems, and historic restoration to keep the 1,000-seat house viable. Antioch City Council members and regional arts commissioners have historically regarded the theater as an irreplaceable civic anchor essential to waterfront revitalization efforts.

The real estate transaction between the private property owners and Legendary Movement Church was finalized earlier this autumn, though financial details and purchase terms have not been publicly disclosed. Representatives from the foundation confirmed that box office operations at 602 West 2nd Street will continue honoring ticket sales for remaining October and November performances until the November 30 vacancy deadline takes effect. The foundation's executive board is currently conducting emergency inventory assessments of specialized stage rigging, grand pianos, and proprietary projection equipment housed within the auditorium.

Foundation leadership announced plans to hold an emergency community informational forum next week to brief ticket holders, donors, and civic leaders on potential legal remedies and alternative venue options. Community members have begun organizing public petitions urging Antioch city officials and church elders to negotiate a collaborative lease compromise that preserves ongoing civic arts access. Patrons holding tickets for performances beyond November can contact the El Campanil Theatre box office at 925-757-9500 or monitor the foundation's official website for transition bulletins.