On February 5, 2009, the Bay Area celebrated the grand reopening of the historic Fox Oakland Theater in downtown Oakland. First opened in 1928, it served as a movie theater, vaudeville house and live theater venue for many years. But, like most inner city theaters, it fell victim to the times and closed in 1973.
The Oakland Redevelopment Agency purchased the blighted, vacant theater in 1996. The Agency invested $50 million in equity and loans for its renovation. The project also received $36 million in state and federal grants, Historic and New Markets Tax Credit equity, and private capital financing. The result is a mixed-use project, which includes a fully-restored 3,000-seat performing arts theater, a new home for the Oakland School for the Arts, and a restaurant and bar. Coupled with the historic Paramount Theatre located two blocks away, the Fox Theater is anchoring Oakland’s emerging Uptown Arts & Entertainment District, bringing new life to Oakland
