Castro Valley, CA, 6/5/2019 — Local arts organization, Smalltown Society, in partnership with First Presbyterian Church of Hayward, has purchased the historic Chabot Theater at 2853 Castro Valley Blvd, in an effort to preserve and build upon its historic legacy, continuing to make it a community asset for years to come.
The effort began when the leadership of Smalltown first discovered that the theater was for sale. In an effort to save the theater from potentially being leveled or utilized for alternate purposes, a team of local residents was formed and funds secured to purchase the theater and launch a new business that began operations on June 4, 2019. All profit from the business will be reinvested into local art and advocacy projects.
Smalltown Society will continue to operate The Chabot as a community “first-run” cinema house, while implementing some exciting new ideas and plans for the future (including enhancing both the property and schedule) establishing the theater as a cultural hub in Castro Valley.
The Chabot will continue to run as normal through the summer, with an official grand opening scheduled for early fall.
To summarize:
- Smalltown Society, in partnership with First Presbyterian Church of Hayward, has purchased the Chabot Theater in order to preserve it as a community asset.
- Smalltown will operate the theater, continuing to preserve its history as a “first-run” cinema house as well as building on its legacy in order to become a cultural hub in Castro Valley.
- Every dollar of profit will go towards community art and advocacy.
- The theater will continue to run as normal through the summer, with an official grand opening scheduled for the fall.