By Linda Taaffe

LA Council scheduled to look at possible theater locations this month

Finding a suitable location for a downtown movie theater is back on the city council’s agenda.

Theater experts joined about 60 city officials and community members May 4 during a special study session to target possible downtown theater locations that the council is scheduled to review this month.

The city-owned parking lot adjacent to Bandera’s Restaurant in downtown Los Altos ranked No. 1 for a 12,000-square-foot six-screen movie theater.

The central plaza between Main and State streets was another option.

Creating additional parking spaces and connecting theater patrons with other downtown businesses were key elements of each theater option.

Representatives from Camera Cinema and Syufy, which owns the lease, runs art films at Palo Square and owns Century theaters, were at the meeting.

The development of the city-owned property at First and Main streets sparked city council interest in bringing a movie theater to town two years ago.

The council ultimately chose to place a hotel at the site but agreed to develop a land-use plan for downtown that would examine alternative sites for a theater.