Yes, the famous "McClendon 3 Theatre" sign has indeed been removed from the Casa Linda Theatre, which is the only part of Casa Linda Plaza (at the corner of Buckner Boulevard and Garland Road) not owned by Houston-based AmREIT real estate company. Nonetheless, Stephen Hefner, who's AmREIT's vice president and managing director for the Dallas region, confirms that SC Companies did indeed remove the "McClendon 3" sign from the theater, which has been closed since 1999, over the weekend.
"They are replacing all the neon," Hefner says. "And they are putting back on the Casa Linda sign above the theater." Clay and Craig Evans at SC Companies couldn't be reached this morning, but they are expected to turn the former theater into a retail site -- though Hefner says he didn't believe they have a tenant for the theater space yet. "But," Hefner tells Unfair Park this morning, "they had to remediate some asbestos, and they're putting a new facade on it."
Nonetheless, it appears that one piece of history's no more; B.R. McClendon would not be pleased. Though if we hear from SC Companies about the sign's fate, we will post an update. --Robert Wilonsky