City of Fresno closes escrow on Tower Theater

Fresno, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The City of Fresno closed escrow on its purchase of the Tower Theater on Friday.

In a press release, Fresno City councilmembers Esmeralda Sora and Miguel Arias announced that the city will spend the next month completing safety inspections and making repairs to the theater after closing escrow.

In September 2020, the owner of the Tower Theater decided to sell the parcel of land to Adventure Church, sparking years’ worth of protests from community members who opposed the purchase.

After the neighboring Sequoia Brewing Company disputed the sale to Adventure Church in court, the city stepped in to purchase the theater for $6.5 million.

City officials say the purchase was made to help preserve the theater as a historic landmark.