Save the Tower Theatre movement marches forward

A court recently denied a request by the Sequoia Brewing Company to halt the sale of the Tower Theatre. The escrow for that sale has now expired.

When a property is in escrow, the buyer and seller enter an exclusive contract until the close or dissolution of a sale. Members of the Save the Tower Theatre Movement believe its expiration leaves the future of the theater unclear.

In the meantime, activists are already planning their next moves. Alicia Rodriguez, a resident of the Tower District and activist, shared some of the strategy.

“[We’re doing] letter writing campaigns, contacting Congress and City Council, and the mayor, to let them know this is not just a Tower District issue, this is a Fresno issue,” she said.

The movement intends to focus solely on the issue of zoning laws moving forward. They maintain that current zoning laws prevent religious services from being held at the Tower Theatre.

It’s possible the sale of the theater to Adventure Church could move forward, with zoning laws still preventing them from using it to hold services.