ANTIOCH — It may be the final curtain call for the nearly century-old El Campanil Theatre, a historic East Bay institution that’s now likely to be sold to a local church.
Legendary Movement, established in 2023, has until Sept. 28 to close escrow on the 98-year-old Art Deco theater at 602 W. 2nd St. in the Rivertown District. The asking price was $1.5 million, but Pastor Elias Herrera could not confirm what the final sale price would be.
Funding for the purchase has mostly come from a loan and church members, who have reportedly raised about $306,500, Herrera said.
The church currently operates out of a rented space in Pittsburg, but with a congregation of more than 500, the church wanted to find a bigger venue, Herrera said.
“I did look for other buildings, other locations, and quite frankly, the amount they wanted was out of our budget, and then I landed upon the El Campanil Theatre, which is a place I’m very familiar with,” Herrera said. “Our family has been there; my daughters have done dance recitals there.”
Herrera said he has no intention of “destroying people’s memories and history” and hopes to preserve as much of the historic architecture as possible.
“I think some TLC won’t hurt, some nice paint on the outside, some greenery and décor, I don’t think that would hurt,” he said. “If there’s anything that we would want to change, I’m going to do my due diligence in calling the right people.”
The El Campanil first opened its doors on Nov. 1, 1928, hosting vaudeville shows and movies.
It was built and owned by Ferdinand Stamm and Ralph Beede and continued to be operated by the Stamm family until 1996, when it was shut down and rented out to churches.
In 2003, the nonprofit El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation purchased and converted the building into a community performing arts center with a $500,000 grant from Calpine Corp.
The theater also received a $750,000 grant from Antioch’s redevelopment agency and $100,000 in donations for new lighting, seats, a sound system, and carpeting.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the building is currently owned by Tung Bui of Washington state. He purchased the building in 2023.
“I knew some board members there, and they were under (a) really dire situation after COVID,” he told the Chronicle.
El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation President Sharon Sobel Idul said the organization, which rents the property, only found out that Bui had accepted an offer from a potential buyer on Aug. 9.
Although the owner had cited the foundation’s financial struggles as the reason for the sale, Idul said the foundation has been “good tenants” and was never late on rent.
Idul, who joined the foundation in November 2025, said the foundation’s financial position predated her involvement with the board.
In July 2025, then Board of Directors President Kathie Campbell told this news organization that the theater needs about $240,000 annually to operate, and without it, it would have to close its doors.
Idul said once she took over, the foundation focused on long-term stability by reducing expenses, adjusting staffing to better align with the theater’s operational needs and developing a more sustainable fundraising model.
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In January, Idul shared the foundation’s financial position with Bui and said that they intended to continue operations.
“I think that’s a major distinction between what was being stated in July of 2025 versus the trajectory into the new year,” Idul said. “The far more financial warning made under the previous board leadership suggested a definite decision to close, whereas the new leadership said business as usual, let’s continue to operate. No direct decision under my leadership was made that we were closing.”
In May, Idul said the foundation began reaching out for community partnerships, including the city, to purchase the building and preserve it as a performing arts venue, communicating that intention to Bui.
Two months later, during a meeting between the foundation, the city and Bui, he had indicated he hadn’t received a strong offer on the property, Idul said.
“He wanted to maintain transparency, and that if a viable offer came through, he would share that with us,” Idul said. “That assurance mattered because we felt we can continue to focus on finding these community partners and still financially stabilizing operations and keep shows going.”
After being notified of the sale on Aug. 9, Idul was told the church planned to use the theater on Wednesdays and Sundays, and that details would be addressed after the sale closed.
Three days later, Herrera and a real estate broker visited the property, but Idul said there has been no further communication since then.
“It is disheartening that we haven’t been approached directly to figure out how, if at all possible, we can all work together,” Idul said. “And in our position as a board, if this sale goes through, we will cease operations. We do not see how we will be able to continue to operate as a full theater without the space to hold office or our staff.”
News of the potential sale did not sit well with some residents at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. They urged the city to save the theater by declaring it a historical site.
Many, who shared fond memories of their time there, highlighted the loss of a performing arts venue and the city’s cultural and historical value. Some expressed concern about the effect the sale would have on the economic vitality of the city.
District One Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker said she and Mayor Pro Tem Donald Freitas had discussed revitalizing cultural centers in the community last year.
“There were rumors of the El Campanil Theatre being sold, and we have been spending months trying to find out what’s going on with the theater and how the city can step in,” Torres-Walker told this news organization.
The councilmembers spoke with City Manager Bessie Scott before she was placed on leave and with David Storer, then interim director of the Economic Development and Community Development Department, and learned about underutilized development impact fees.
Developers pay development impact fees when they build housing in the city, and the money can be used to repair roads and other infrastructure, such as parks and community spaces.
The councilmembers and the El Campanil Theatre board members then met to develop a plan for how the city could step in and help, said Torres-Walker.
“So we weren’t even talking about a building that was on the market at that point,” said Torres-Walker. “It felt like it was something that we needed to do, and that we had time to do because we wanted to preserve the theater.”
Torres-Walker said the city’s hands are now tied because of the potential sale.
“If we as the city in any way jeopardize the potential sale, we can be sued by the buyer and the current owner,” she said.
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