An illustration of a future the nonprofit Novato Theater had once hoped for. (Facebook)
Buttery popcorn won’t be sold at the old Novato Theater ever again—but perhaps residents can look forward to a cranberry scone.
The site of the long-shuttered movie house at 924 Grant Ave. in Novato was sold recently for $375,000 to Novato residents Matthew and Julia Burns, who plan to develop the 6,370-square-foot property into a mixed-use project with a café on the first floor and a trio of apartments and an office above, according to the Marin Independent Journal.
The property had been owned since 2010 by the nonprofit Novato Theater, which purchased the site from the City of Novato for $50,000—about $350,000 below its market value at the time—due to land-use restrictions which required the site be used as a theater. The nonprofit was dedicated to raising enough funds to revitalize the old movie house as a performing arts center. But the nonprofit went into debt and the plan never came to fruition. The city lifted the use restriction in 2022 to pave the way for a sale. This time, however, it was the nonprofit which found itself on the side of selling the property for less than expected—the site was initially listed at $750,000, but found no takers.
