The El Cerrito City Council, acting as the redevelopment agency, is considering preliminary plans to determine who would run the theater, the cost of renovation, and the amount of money that could be raised to bring the old movie theater back to life. The 8,000-sf Cerrito Theater is located on San Pablo Avenue near the corner of Central Avenue in El Cerrito.

The redevelopment agency will negotiate with Speakeasy Theaters as a potential manager for the project. Speakeasy, which operates the Parkway Theater in Oakland, has proposed giving the city $10,000 a month to operate a revised two-level, two-screen theater and restaurant.

The redevelopment agency will decide next month whether or not to sign a lease agreement with Speakeasy. At that point, the city will also make a decision about spending $2 million to renovate the theater.