‘Time for this mess to end.’ Fresno’s Tower District fans want theater owner gone
Business owners, arts aficionados and Tower District advocates came together Wednesday to call for the Tower Theatre’s owner to sell his property to someone who they can trust to be a steward of the community.
The group gathered outside the theater that gave the Tower District its name to tell owner Laurence Abbate that he has lost the trust of the business owners and performing arts organizers who rely on the building.
A sale to a church or any owner that would require a rezoning of the building goes against the 30-year-old Tower District Specific Plan, according to Tyler Mackey, executive director of the Tower District Marketing Committee.
“The one thing that is clear is it is time for Mr. Abbate to sell his theater and move on,” he said. “It is time for this mess to end.”
Abbate had entered into an agreement to sell the theater and surrounding structures to Adventure Community Church, a fact that became public in January and set off 15 weeks of protests since.
The sale has also drawn a lawsuit from Sequoia Brewery, whose owners argue they have contractual rights to buy the theater first. Mackey said Wednesday that the owners have the financial backing to buy.
Sequoia’s attorney Kimberly Mayhew confirmed on Wednesday her clients have the financial backing to buy the property, but noted no sales discussion can move forward while the lawsuit is open.
Abbate has not spoken publicly about the sale, leaving most of his communication to attorney David Camenson, who was not immediately available for comment.
By Wednesday evening, Abbate did post a video on Facebook to address some of the concerns surrounding the Tower Theatre.
“The first thing I’m hearing is no shows at the Tower Theatre — that’s completely wrong,” Abbate said in the video. “We’re booking away. ... Another thing I’m hearing is liquor license and zoning and it’s going to change everything — that’s absolutely not true as far as I’ve been told. I wanted to clear that up.”
Abbate also praised Adventure Church for its help during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Adventure Church has been great here, helping us during this pandemic,” Abbate said. “They have helped sustain us. They’re great folks. And they agreed to do shows and services on Sundays.
“It was a big hit when that’s all that was here and nobody was around and cared. Fantastic people, they were excited to get going on shows and services.”
The sale of the 81-year-old theater to Adventure Church, however, was called off according to court documents filed April 6. Plans for another sale remain unclear.
The problems with a potential sale to Adventure Church have nothing to do with religion, according to Miguel Gastelum, board president of The Fools Collaborative performing arts nonprofit.
The unpopular sale came as a surprise and community groups have felt left out of the discussion, he said.
“Here, we believe you love your neighbor as yourself. You communicate with your neighbor,” he said. “You consider your neighbor.”
Money raised for legal costs
Advocates for the Tower District have raised more than $48,000 to put toward the legal battle over sale of the theater.
Business owners and Tower advocates have openly worried allowing the church to buy the building could dampen the area’s character and be bad for business. They point to the Tower District’s historical support for the LGBTQ+ community and the potential conflict of setting up a church that touts its traditional beliefs, which include refusing to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies or ordain ministers who are not heterosexual.
Representatives of area businesses showed solidarity with the speakers, gathering behind them outside the theater on Wednesday. Shops represented included Richie’s Pizza, Anzula and Fresno Music Academy and Arts, to name a few.
Save the Tower Theatre Demonstration Committee head Alicia Rodriguez said the theater’s owners and church leaders have not spoken with the community nor made any statements against the recent actions of Proud Boys terrorists who led counter protests in recent weeks.
A man was arrested April 7 during a protest for having pepper spray, a felony because the man was on probation, according to police. After his arrest, the man said he was not affiliated with a specific group, according to police.
Rodriguez said demonstrations in Tower from white supremacists have caused “irreparable harm.”
Rogue Festival board President Jaguar Bennett said the neighborhood has always supported the theater, noting fundraisers for upkeep on the neon lights outside the building.
“To put it very bluntly, at this point we do not trust Laurence Abbate. We don’t feel the Tower Theatre is safe in his hands,” he said. “We are not going to rest easy until the theater is owned by someone who is going to operate it according to its zoning and its economic purpose.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 12:33 PM.
