Casino Star Theatre ClosedTemporarily! utahtheaters.info

For the first time since the death of banker and theatre-owner C. E. Anderson early in 1974, the Casino Star Theatre has closed its doors. The now-defunct Top Stop gas and goods store at the southeast corner of Main and Center Street in Gunnison left behind a devastating flood of gasoline from leaking underground storage tanks that has resulted in business closures, home evacuations, and general disruption to the city.

The Casino Star Theatre will re-open when the toxic fumes no longer threaten the health of our patrons. We’re sorry to disappoint you during this season of holiday movies, but public safety trumps all else in a situation like this.

Part of the lore from the theatre’s past has become its greatest vulnerability for now: a fascinating series of tunnels from the basement to “somewhere else” on Main Street. Unfortunately, those tunnels became obvious channels for the passage of liquid and fumes.

Several remedies are in progress, but proper rehabilitation of a structure recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation requires the care and wisdom of preservation specialists to moderate the quick-fix mindset of disaster control crews whose job it is to control the problem.

C. E. Anderson’s survivors soon found a new buyer to re-open and resume the movie schedule in 1974. We also intend to resume operation within a few months, but we will take the time necessary to assure that the historical integrity of Gunnison’s landmark architectural gem is not compromised.