Imminent Built in 1919, the Guild 45th Theatre has been the epicenter of entertainment for the once-sleepy Seattle neighborhood of Wallingford for almost a century. That's so old that it pre-dates "talkies." They added on the Guild 45th II in 1983, separated from it's predecessor by am oft-changing restaurant, to update itself but has otherwise remained the same. It's so much a part of Seattle's cinematic experience that it even as a cameo in Say Anything.
As Wallingford grows around it and mixed-use complexes and larger businesses move in, the future of the aging theater was already in doubt. Now that the owners, Landmark Theatres, have nominated the Guild for landmark status, it's much clearer what they probably intend to do with it.
It is more difficult to develop official landmarks, and it's why owners looking to sell or redevelop their properties sometimes nominate them. Getting a decision upfront helps them plan what to do with their real estate. The Guild 45th – with its cracked marquee and the shoddy condition of one of the theater's two screening rooms where some seats are falling apart – seems ripe for redevelopment. If that happened, it wouldn't be alone. The surrounding neighborhood is beginning to see other redevelopment activity.
Absolutely no word on what Landmark might have in mind for the theatre but once they learn whether or not Guild 45th is a landmark or not, we'll probably find out soon enough.
· This old Seattle movie theater may not be long for this world [PSBJ]
· Mapping the Seattle Filming Locations of 'Say Anything...' [CS]