The Capitola Theater, long ago the Capitola Hotel that tragically burned to the ground in 1929, seems destined for a re-incarnation closer to its former self.
Developer Barry Swenson Builder plans to tear down the boarded up Capitola Theater to make way for a new hotel on the property before the end of the year. While the theater, which remained basically unchanged during its operation from 1948 to 1996, is well regarded by nostalgic citizens there is little in the actual design of the building to qualify it for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or the California Register of Historic Resources.
Developers, owners, and town councilmen alike hope that the new hotel will be a centerpiece for Capitola Village and a new source of economic growth.
