Historic Taft Icon Faces Foreclosure Auction - Bakersfield

Taft Icon Faces Foreclosure Auction - Bakersfield News Story - KERO Bakersfield:

"The Fox Theatre has been running in some form since the 1920's, and is currently the only movie theater on the West Side that screens new releases.
Given the theater's iconic history, it is a cornerstone for Taft's downtown redevelopment efforts.
'It's the main anchor business of our downtown area, and with all the development that we plan to go on downtown, losing the Fox Theatre cannot be replaced,' Fred Schell, executive director of the Taft Chamber of Commerce, said.
Aside from keeping Taft and nearby residents from driving to Bakersfield to catch the latest flick, residents consider their Fox to be a cultural icon that deserves to be preserved for future generations.
'I'm kind of nervous about it, possibly losing my job, and losing the theater for Taft,' Anthony Lampkin, the theater's manager, said. 'It's the only place in Taft to go see a movie and pretty much the focal point of downtown Center Street.'
At an asking price of $849,000, Joyce says it coul be a bargain for a local investor to operate the theater. The purchase price would include only the building, while the search is on for someone to invest in operating the movie theater."