User:Arisdoga

By 1988, the theatre faced increased competition due to VCR sales and shifts in entertainment consumption. These setbacks forced owner Justin Freed to sell the theatre to Newton real estate developer, Jonathan Davis. When Davis expressed interest in demolishing the theatre and repurposing the property as commercial space, a group from the Brookline community started a grassroots campaign to save the theatre.

David Kleiler, a film professor at Babson College, led the movement, called "Friends of the Coolidge," which later transformed into the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the theatre's preservation. This foundation played a role in securing the theater's recognition as a historic site, temporarily preventing potential redevelopment.

In 1989, the foundation attempted to raise the necessary $2.6 million to purchase the theatre, but faced fundraising shortfalls. In response, four hundred local residents gathered in a peaceful demonstration, locking arms and forming a human chain around the theatre. Harold Brown, a realtor and Brookline resident who had loved the Coolidge in his youth, and his Hamilton Charitable Foundation emerged, proposed the purchase of the theatre and a 99-year lease to the Coolidge Foundation. On November 8, 1989, Kleiler cut a celluloid ribbon and the theatre reopened its doors with the marquee reading, "WE DID IT - ON WITH THE SHOW." Kleiler remained the theatre's programming director until 1993.

In November 2021, the Coolidge Foundation broke ground on an expansion of the theatre, which planned to add 14,000 square feet to its existing structure. The $12.5 million expansion, "The Campaign for the Coolidge," designed by Höweler + Yoon, will feature two state-of-the-art theaters, a Community Education and Engagement Center, a media library, and enhanced accessibility features. As of October 2023, the Coolidge secured 85% of the funding, including a $1 million donation from The Trust Family Foundation. The addition of the two new theatres, seating 149 and 57 respectively, will cater to varied events, from larger screenings to intimate gatherings. The third-floor Community Education and Engagement Center, seating 60, will broaden educational and community program capacities, while an adjoining media library will house films and Coolidge merchandise. The expansion's opening is scheduled for late 2023.