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By Mark Thiessen

The Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska 鈥� Demolition is scheduled to begin soon on a once-opulent downtown movie theater designed by the architect of Hollywood鈥檚 famed Pantages Theater.

Anchorage entrepreneur Austin 鈥淐ap鈥� Lathrop opened the 4th Avenue Theatre, with nearly 1,000 seats, on May 31, 1947, with a showing of 鈥淭he Jolson Story.鈥� The art deco theater became the centerpiece of the downtown historic district. But the venue last showed a movie over 40 years ago, and the building has sat vacant for nearly half that time.

The building鈥檚 current owners, Derrick Chang and Terence Chang, say it has multiple problems and rehabilitation would be too costly. Plus, its use as a single-screen movie theater is an outmoded business model, they say.

However, the owners stated earlier this year that they will attempt to salvage the impressive artwork inside the building and the iconic 4th Avenue art deco neon sign and incorporate them in a new $200 million redevelopment of the block. Plans call for housing, office space, a hotel, and retail and entertainment venues.

The Changs did not respond to messages left by The Associated Press.

鈥淚t is a very significant building, architecturally 鈥� its association with Cap Lathrop and as a historic icon in Anchorage itself,鈥� said Judith Bittner, the state historic preservation officer. 鈥淚 think that the interior and exterior are unique and worthy of preservation.鈥�

Over the years, preservation efforts 鈥� including a voter initiative to provide funding 鈥� failed. The realization that such efforts are over is sinking in for some people who have fought to preserve the five-story, nearly 11,500-square-foot building, especially after fencing went up around the building recently and traffic in front of it became restricted.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a foregone conclusion that this is the end,鈥� said Trish Neal, president of the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 people grieving all over the state and beyond.鈥�

Added Sam Combs, a historic preservation architect: 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to destroy the historic center of our city.鈥�

Lathrop was making a substantive statement by beginning construction on the theater in 1941, two years after the U.S. Census put Anchorage鈥檚 population at about 3,500. Alaska was still a territory at the time, and Anchorage was not yet an aviation hub between the U.S. and Asia.

Alaska鈥檚 future was not clear at that time, but Bittner said Lathrop had a vision that Alaska was going to become something 鈥� and he put his considerable fortune behind that belief.

鈥淚t was in a sense a comment to Alaska saying, 鈥業 believe in Alaska, I believe in its future, and we can aspire to greater things,鈥欌�� Bittner said.

B. Marcus Priteca, a Seattle architect who designed theaters for Alexander Pantages, including the iconic Hollywood theater in 1929, was hired to design the new Anchorage movie theater. Work began in 1941 but was paused during World War II.

The interior was lush, featuring high-end d茅cor and love seats at the end of alternating rows. A gold leaf mural of Alaska鈥檚 Mount McKinley, North America鈥檚 tallest mountain now named Denali, graced the lobby.

Silver and gold murals featuring Alaska scenes by Anthony Heinsbergen and Frank Bouman of Los Angeles were featured in the main theater. Two floor-to-ceiling murals framed the stage and screen, according to the Friends of the Fourth Avenue Theatre website. Twinkling lights illuminated the Big Dipper and North Star constellations on the ceiling.

The theater was lacking one major detail, however. Lathrop thought concession stands were unseemly and didn鈥檛 include one, forcing kids to visit the Woolworth鈥檚 at the end of the block to stock up on candy before entering the theater.

The building was more than just a movie theater. Lathrop鈥檚 TV and radio stations had their studios there, plus there was room for offices and an attic on the fourth floor. The fifth floor wasn鈥檛 added until about 1960, and it became a penthouse.

The building is solid with a lot of poured concrete, Bittner said.

鈥淚t was built to last,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to have a challenge taking down some of that concrete.鈥�

That solid base could be one reason the theater remained standing while streets and buildings throughout Anchorage collapsed after the magnitude 9.2 earthquake on Good Friday 1964. It remains the second-strongest earthquake on record.

The 4th Avenue Theatre鈥檚 movie projectors went silent in the 1980s, and the building was used as an events venue through the early part of this century.

Neal said there is one remaining hope to save the building from the wrecking ball: Gov. Mike Dunleavy could declare it a state historic site and seek written consent from the owners for the designation.

鈥淭he Alaska Historical Commission urges you and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to take all action necessary and authorized by the Alaska Constitution and Alaska Historic Preservation Act to ensure that the historic character and value of the 4th Avenue Theatre is protected and preserved for future generations,鈥� Bittner stated in a July 12 letter addressed to Dunleavy and obtained by the AP.

鈥淭he Governor鈥檚 office never received the letter from the historical commission,鈥� Jeff Turner, a spokesman for Dunleavy, stated in an email to the AP. 鈥淭herefore, there is no official request.鈥�

Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson backs current plans, according to his spokesman, Corey Allen Young.

鈥淭he mayor supports plans to bring new development and life to 4th Avenue with respect to the historical nature of the theater,鈥� he stated in an email. 鈥淭he developers have agreed to preserve as much of the artwork as possible, and recreate the historical landmark sign on 4th Avenue.鈥�

Bittner said she appreciates the Changs鈥� plan to save the iconic sign and murals, but also laments that any future usage won鈥檛 be the same.

鈥淭he context in which they were created is gone,鈥� she said. 鈥淥nce it鈥檚 gone, it鈥檚 gone forever.鈥�