Historic Sign Saved; What about the Theater?

The aging blade sign identifying the empty Rialto Theatre, recently red tagged by South Pasadena’s building and safety department, will now be repaired and for the time being remain in place towering over Fair Oaks Avenue. The 87-year-old theater has been closed since 2010 and needs substantial structural work and restoration, but no such plans are in development. The blade sign is considered a defining feature of the beloved Rialto, now on the National Register of Historic Places. Officials are concerned that any substantial changes to the sign, or its removal, might affect the building’s historic status.