City of San Luis Obispo, CA

 Monterey Street in front of the historic Fremont Theater reopened yesterday after the City of San Luis Obispo determined it is safe to restore vehicle traffic in the area.

While Monterey Street is now open, the sidewalk directly in front of the theater and the Fremont building itself will remain closed until additional material is removed and the structure is confirmed safe. This phased approach allows work to continue while maintaining safety for the community.

“Reopening the street is an important step forward,” said Community Development Director Timothea Tway. “We understand how much the Fremont Theater means to our community and we are encouraged by the property owner’s progress. We will continue working closely with the property owner to ensure that we move forward safely, responsibly, and as efficiently as possible while protecting this historic landmark.”

The City encourages community members to continue supporting downtown businesses during this time. Nearby restaurants and businesses – including Buona Tavola and Shin’s Sushi – as well as the nearby County Courthouse and Government Center, remain open and accessible.

Public safety remains the City’s top priority for the City. Recent findings from the Fremont Theater team’s engineer and historic preservation consultants provided information that supports the opening of the street. However, further inspection is needed to confirm the condition of the internal steel structure of the sign. To complete that work, the property owner will begin removing limited sections of exterior material along the front and top of the sign in the coming days.

“The Fremont Theater is an important historic resource, and repair efforts are being carefully coordinated to preserve as much of the building’s historic character as possible while addressing immediate safety concerns,” Tway said.

The street and surrounding sidewalks were closed in February after a winter storm caused part of the Fremont Theater’s iconic tower sign to break and fall onto the sidewalk and roadway. No injuries were reported, and the City immediately closed a portion of Monterey Street and the adjacent sidewalk out of an abundance of caution. As additional information became available, the City later suspended the building’s Certificate of Occupancy to ensure public safety while engineers and historic preservation experts evaluated the structure.

The Fremont Theater is privately owned, and the property owner is responsible for repairs.

The City’s role is to review permits, ensure all work meets safety and historic preservation standards, and manage access to public spaces such as streets and sidewalks. City staff will continue to provide updates as work progresses and more information becomes available.

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