Alex Theatre Renewal Plan Arrives Early : Arts Center: Task force on converting the historic movie house will report to the City Council months ahead of schedule.

The Alex Theatre task force will report to Glendale officials next week that plans are well under way to convert the historic movie house into a performing arts center.

Details of the report are to be presented Tuesday to the Glendale Redevelopment Agency, months ahead of schedule. The public meeting is to begin at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Final recommendations by the 21-member, city-appointed task force outlining the scope and type of renovation proposed, uses and operation of the theater and the costs involved could be completed by late October, said Laurence R. Clarke, chairman of the Committee for the Arts at the Alex.

The committee action marks the first time in decades that warring factions have come together to determine the fate of the movie house, built in 1925.

At least half a dozen previous performing arts proposals and studies on the Alex were dropped after bickering among civic, cultural and historical groups. Then, early this year, the City Council named representatives of the arts, business and industry, homeowners, historical interests and ethnic groups to the task force.

But the committee has yet to test the public’s reaction to its recommendations, which have been made quietly behind closed doors. The first reaction is expected at a public forum tentatively scheduled for Sept. 21 at the Alex, 216 N. Brand Blvd.

That meeting could sway the Redevelopment Agency--which consists of the five-member City Council--on whether to heed the recommendations of the task force, Clarke said. “We are doing something exciting,” he said. “Now it is time we develop some constituency.”

The committee already has hired architects and consultants to determine how the theater would be used and what types of arts programs could be offered. Once those decisions are made, the cost of renovating and converting the theater can be determined, Clarke said. He estimated the cost at about $4 million, far lower than earlier estimates of $15 million or more.

The committee expects to hire a developer this week to serve as construction manager and project expediter. Plans also are being formulated to raise money, since officials have long warned that city money is not available.

Glendale Redevelopment Director Jeanne Armstrong said the final report to be drafted by the committee “will not be black and white, but will give recommendations and alternatives.”

Among the recommendations will be that the city form a nonprofit corporation with a seven-to nine-member board of directors to guide renovation and operation of the theater. Members would be appointed to rotating terms, as on other city commissions, Clarke said.

The city bought the famed Fox Lanterman theater pipe organ, which it expects to restore and install as a centerpiece in the movie theater. It allocated $500,000 for acquiring and renovating the theater and restoring the organ.

Clarke, president and managing partner of Knapp, Petersen & Clarke, the largest law firm in Glendale, was appointed by former Mayor Larry Zarian as chairman of the task force. Clarke’s firm is a relative newcomer to Glendale and was not involved in earlier squabbles over the theater.

Clarke said his goal is to develop “a real, definitive plan” for the theater that will achieve “a high-quality, viable product within some reasonable bounds.”

Key Players in the Alex Theater Saga

Profiles of some of the figures helping to decide the future of the Alex Theatre: * Laurence R. Clarke

As chairman of the Committee for the Arts at the Alex, Clarke was responsible for organizing a seemingly unwieldy group of volunteers into a viable body.

“I decided we had to approach the challenge in a more divided fashion so that we could have several streams of the project running concurrently,” said Clarke, who named five chairmen to subcommittees studying various facets of the project.

Clarke is president and managing partner of Knapp, Petersen & Clarke, the largest law firm in Glendale. The firm, which has more than 170 employees, including 65 attorneys, moved last December from Universal City to the new tower at 500 N. Brand Blvd.

* Jeanne Armstrong

Armstrong, who is Glendale’s redevelopment director, heads the operations committee, which is working to recommend how the Alex should be operated and managed.

The subcommittee’s decisions could be important to deciding the extent of restoration and type of programming that may be planned. Members of her city staff provide the technical backup and professional assistance to the task force.

* Andrea Humberger

As president of the Glendale Historical Society, Humberger has been one of the most outspoken community leaders working for the rehabilitation of the theater. She leads the subcommittee on programming, an issue critical to the type of alterations to be made to the theater.

The historical society a year ago renewed interest in preserving the Alex when it staged an extravaganza at the theater that raised more than $15,000.

* James DeMonaco

The director of facilities and services for Walt Disney Imagineering, DeMonaco serves as chairman of the facilities subcommittee. Disney is the largest employer in Glendale with more than 3,000 workers.

DeMonaco’s subcommittee has already determined that the Alex is built soundly and qualifies as a candidate for restoration. He also has used his expertise and contacts with creative architects, engineers and consultants to help lead the task force in finding valuable advisers.

* John Hedlund

The former president of Glendale Partners, a consortium of local business leaders, Hedlund is chairman of the finances subcommittee, charged with the task of finding a way to fund the Alex project.

As owner of California Offset Printers, Hedlund has long been active in the community and civic affairs and is a past president of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce. City leaders have warned that strong financial support of the Alex project from the business community is necessary for success.

* Mike Sharp

A real estate developer and co-owner of the Pasadena Playhouse, Sharp is familiar with the many facets of rehabilitating a theater.

He is chairman of the master plan subcommittee, which is studying ways the area around the Alex can be developed to preserve and enhance a performing arts center. The subcommittee is considering a variety of proposals suggested by the redevelopment agency’s design consultant, ELS of Berkeley.

A prominent Glendale architect, Brambilla was named to the committee to lend representation to the large Armenian population in Glendale.

His presentation and input have been notable in the critical stages of forming a design plan for the theater, including integrating the sprawling Fox Lanterman theater pipe organ into the scheme.

* Mike Howard and Ken Simon

A veteran Glendale developer, Howard’s expertise has been tapped to find a contractor capable of guiding the renovation project. He has been assisted by Simon, retired president of ACCO, a local air conditioning contractor.

The pair sifted through 15 proposals from developers seeking to guide the Alex project, narrowing the field last week to five. The full committee was to select an expediter from their list late this week.

* Marco Brambilla A prominent Glendale architect, Brambilla was named to the committee to lend representation to the large Armenian population in Glendale.

His presentation and impact have been notable in the crucial stages of forming a design plan for the theater, including integrating the sprawling Fox Lanterman theater pipe organ into the scheme.