City of San Luis Obispo, CA

Friday, February 27, 2026 Update

Due to public safety concerns, events cannot be held at the historic Fremont Theater until an engineer can evaluate the risk and determine that the damaged sign is not a hazard to the building.  

The City of San Luis Obispo has suspended the building’s Certificate of Occupancy, effective immediately, due to safety concerns and new information provided by the building owner. The community can expect a temporary closure of the sidewalk and pedestrian tunnels directly in front of the Fremont until the building is deemed safe. 

This morning, City staff met with the property owner, who conveyed new information based on additional limited observation indicating that the structural integrity of the sign structure cannot be confirmed at this time. Out of an abundance of caution and in order to ensure the safety of the public, the City suspended the Certificate of Occupancy for the building.  

The property owner has been notified and is actively working to relocate scheduled events. The City acknowledges the responsiveness and cooperation demonstrated by the Rossi family and their team throughout this process.  

Nearby businesses, including Buona Tavola, Shin's Sushi and The Bridge Café, as well as the nearby courthouse and County Government Center, remain open during normal business hours. 

Previously the sidewalk in front of the Fremont Theater was open to the public with temporary protective structures in place to protect pedestrians, but the street still remained closed.  

To safely reopen the area as quickly as possible and protect pedestrians during construction, shipping containers were in place and serving as pedestrian tunnels. Lighting and security cameras were also installed as additional safety precautions. The City will make every attempt to keep the sidewalk open throughout this project, however, temporary closures may be periodically necessary depending on work being performed to ensure safety.  We appreciate the public’s patience as construction projects of this type are dynamic.  

Post Date: 02/20/2026 3:37 PM 

City Reviews Plans to Repair Storm-Damaged Fremont Theater Sign

Sidewalk and portion of Monterey Street remain temporarily closed as property owner works with City on repair plans; nearby restaurants are open for business.

The City of San Luis Obispo is reviewing plans submitted by the Fremont Theater owner to repair the historic building following storm damage to the external façade earlier this week.

During a strong storm early Tuesday morning, a portion of the tower blade sign crumbled onto the sidewalk and Monterey Street. No injuries were reported and the City immediately closed a portion of Monterey Street and the adjacent sidewalk as a precaution.

The sidewalk in front of the theater will remain closed until temporary pedestrian protection measures are installed. The street will remain closed until engineers and the City’s building official determine the external sign no longer poses a risk to public safety.

Nearby businesses, including Buona Tavola, Shin's Sushi and The Bridge Café, as well as the nearby courthouse and County Government Center, remain open during normal business hours.

“We recognize that the Fremont Theater holds deep meaning for our community and that recent storm damage has understandably caused concern,” said Timothea Tway, director of the city’s Community Development Department. “We are working closely with the building owner, engineers and historic preservation professionals to restore the building safely, responsibly and as efficiently as possible. Our priority is keep everyone safe while working collaboratively to ensure the sign is repaired in a way that protects its historic character.”

Engineers have since determined that parts of the sign’s façade material are at risk of further failure due to cracking, corrosion and rain saturation. The extent of instability is still being evaluated. City staff are now reviewing a proposal from the property owner to remove unstable portions of the sign and make necessary repairs while preserving as much of the historic material as possible.

Once work begins, removal and further structural assessment are expected to take several weeks. Any repair work will comply with applicable building and historic preservation regulations.

The Fremont Theater is privately owned. Questions about building operations or reopening plans should be directed to the property owner. The City will continue to provide updates regarding public safety measures and the permitting and repair process as more information becomes available.

Media Contact: Timothea Tway, Community Development Director, TTway@slocity.org