Restoration work at SF Castro Theatre starts after contentious debate and opposition [Video]

After years of contentious debate, the iconic Castro Theatre has finally started restoration work.

Another Planet, the company that operates the theater for the family who owns it, said the seats will be sold, and the money will be donated to charity.

The people leading the project invited a KTVU crew inside the theater as they pulled back the curtain to show the work that was being done.  

The seats that were a bone of contention have been removed.  

There was also artwork on the ceiling that had been hidden behind layers of paint and dirt. 

The frame of the movie screen has now been exposed.  There was scaffolding from floor to ceiling.

“Blending the story of the old and the new and revealing the stories that are trying to get out,” said Mary Conde, senior vice president with Another Planet.  

Stories that Jeff Greene, a restoration expert, would help …