City Buys West Valley Playhouse

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Blumenfield announced Wednesday that the city has closed escrow on the Clyde Porter West Valley Playhouse in Canoga Park.

The acquisition, which closed on Dec. 24, will ensure the property will continue to serve the local arts community, Blumenfield said.

The purchase comes in conjunction with nearby Madrid Theater and the Canoga Park Youth Arts Center as part of Blumenfield's Canoga Park Cultural Arts Hub, which he said will serve as an incubator and home for artists.

"With the decimation of arts funding in our schools and the decline of accessible theater in our community, I am proud to help transition the West Valley Playhouse into a public asset," Blumenfield said. "This will prevent the loss of a community gem and ensure that we have local theater for current and future generations. It will also help fuel local economic opportunity."

The West Valley Playhouse is located at 7242 Owensmouth Ave., seats about 150 people and was formerly a Masonic Lodge before it was transformed into a theater in 2000.

Blumenfield's office said the city used $1.395 million in excess Community Redevelopment Agency bond funds to purchase the playhouse. The theater will now be operated by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs.

"On behalf of the Valley Cultural Foundation's board of directors and myself, we are very excited to learn that the West Valley Playhouse will remain open in Canoga Park," said Nora Ross, CEO of the Valley Cultural Foundation. "Keeping the theater open and providing a location for everyone to enjoy a wide variety of entertainment is beneficial to all."

City News Service; Photo: Google Earth