Huntridge Theater now on Las Vegas historic property register

Its designation by the City Council on Sept. 1 marked the first addition to the register since 2016, according to city records.

“It is a very iconic 1940s building that I think holds a very near and dear place in many people’s hearts,” Historic Preservation Officer Diane Siebrandt told city lawmakers.

The request for local historic recognition came from developer J Dapper’s limited liability company, Brass Monkey, which purchased the theater in March for $4 million and plans to renovate the site over the next three years.

To facilitate the sale, the city had intervened in state litigation against prior owners, the Mizrachi family. A settlement absolved existing debt the family owed to Nevada and called for the theater to be added to the city’s historic register.

“The previous owner did not wish to have it on the local register,” city spokesman Jace Radke said in an email Wednesday, noting that owner consent is required.

The theater, located at the southeast corner of Charleston Boulevard and Maryland Parkway, has been on state and national historic registers since the 1990s, according to city records.

Local historic recognition protects the theater from demolition and requires any exterior changes to the theater to be approved by the city’s historic preservation commission, tasked with ensuring such properties maintain their historic integrity, Siebrandt said.

There are now 20 properties on the city’s Historic Property Register, records show, but the theater is only one of six to be designated at local, state and national levels. There are 10 other properties in city limits on either the state or national historic register, or both, but not on the city’s.

John Curran, senior vice president of development for Dapper Companies, told the council that a construction timeline for theater renovation remains “to be determined” as they pursue financing options. He added that the company was hopeful to get a deal signed soon with an operator, which will drive the design.

“We’re not just going to build a theater and cross our fingers somebody finds it to be perfect,” he said. “We’re going to build a theater that meets the exact needs of the operator.”

Closed since 2004, the theater was well known for showing movies, including Saturday matinees, and grew into a popular concert destination in the 1990s.