get to know the parkway
Originally opened on September 23 1925, the Parkway Theater was a modern marvel of its time, clad in the Twenties' finest deco architecture.
Designed by Marc T. Jorgensen, the mind behind many Bay Area theaters including the Rialto in San Francisco and the Rivoli in Berkeley, it stands as a landmark of the city skyline. After enriching the neighborhood for 84 years, it was forced to close its doors in 2009 due to the overwhelming need for updates and repairs.
Since then, the theater has sat dim, waiting for the moment when it can once again light up the sky and make history. We hope to do just that, by re-opening the Parkway as the premiere spot in Oakland where the arts, entertainment, and cannabis meet.
A New Beginning
In 2019 the City of Oakland granted approval to operate a cannabis dispensary in the building, and work immediately began on plans to restore and revitalize the theatre.
Our team is no stranger to restorative retail, our previous dispensary Telegraph Health Center (THC), opened in 2014 in the refurbished Chapel of the Oaks, a former mortuary and 85-year old architectural icon that had sat vacant for a decade. Until January 2019, THC operated as a medical dispensary, offering relief to community members in need and providing a source for positive change within the neighborhood.
Just like THC, we believe that the chance to invest in the landscape of the community is worth much more than just finding a spot and putting up a coat of paint.
THE future of the PARKWAY
The Parkway will initially re-open as the flagship location for the Ivy Hill cannabis dispensary brand, and will later re-open the theatre and other areas of the building to offer live entertainment, food service, a community art space, and a consumption lounge.
Too many valuable community spaces have gone under or into limbo recently, meaning this will be the first theater to open in Oakland in nearly a decade. The Bay Area's vast arts, music, and entertainment scene will soon return to us. The Parkway's ample size will allow us to bring more diverse events for the community and its event organizers.
Just as deserving of praise is our world-renowned local cannabis scene. A pinnacle of the California cannabis industry, the Bay Area, has led the charge with the creation of equity ownership programs and conscientious consumption spaces. By synergizing the two parts of the Parkway, the lounge will act as a gathering space no different from a wine bar or café. Through this, we hope to be another example of responsible social consumption and an opportunity to showcase all the ways cannabis can be a force for good in our local communities.
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