Plans Call For Patagonia Sign To Replace Old Town Theater Sign

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Board of Architectural Review is set to consider allowing the removal and relocation of the Old Town Theater sign and other exterior changes as the space is set to become a Patagonia retail store. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Council Chamber at Alexandria City Hall.

The former Old Town Theater space at 815 1/2 King Street has been boarded up for construction, but the Board of Architectural Review must approve exterior architectural changes for the project. According to a city staff report, the applicant seeks to demolish the existing metal storefront and ticket booth to make way for a new storefront system.

The new storefront plans call for double doors and fixed glass storefront panels. According to the application, the storefront would "allow for more controlled entry into the space and for more display space inside while still retaining the historic opening in the masonry wall."

The other major change would be the removal of the Old Town marquee sign from the exterior. That sign would be "refurbished and installed as a focal point within the retail space," according to the application. A Patagonia sign would replace the Old Town sign on the existing marquee.

The Old Town Theater dates back to 1914, when it was originally called Richmond Theater. It was Alexandria's first permanent theater and has been used for several purposes over the years, including for movies and live theater. It was rebranded as Old Town Theater upon its closure for renovations in 1980. The late Alexandria businessman Jeffrey Yates had expressed interest in reopening the theater upon purchasing the space in 2015. Asana Partners purchased the space in 2018 after Yates died. Outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia confirmed in 2019 it will replace the former Old Town Theater, Washington Business Journal reported.

City staff recommended the permit to demolish/capsulate and a certificate of appropriateness for alterations at the future Patagonia space be granted.

A staff report addresses the character of the ticket booth and Old Town sign:

While a ticket booth has been present since the theater was originally constructed, the current booth was likely constructed in the mid-20th century and has no character defining materials or features. The 'Old Town' sign was reinstalled on the newly rebuilt marquee in 2012. With the white facing removed, the letters are deteriorating and are currently wrapped with Christmas-tree style light strings.

The interior plans aren't under the Board of Architectural Review's jurisdiction, but staff expressed support for plans to retain or recall many interior features of the former theater.