SAN JOSE — The show will go on for the iconic dome theater near Santana Row after the City Council voted Tuesday to grant the building historic status despite pleas from several council members and developers to reconsider.

The 7-4 vote in favor of the status came after dozens of community members pleaded with council members to save one of the oldest and most intact dome-style theaters that was remembered by many not only as a place of fond memories, but as a lasting image of midcentury futuristic architecture that has not been preserved anywhere else.

The theater located on Olsen Drive, formerly the Century 21 theater, was built in 1964 and closed to the public in March.

“The dome represents a pivotal change in San Jose’s history,” said Matthew Sutton, who runs the “Save the Dome” Facebook page. “It is the heart of west San Jose, and it should get the historical status it so rightly deserves.”

“It is iconic,” said another speaker, Gail Frank. “It captured people’s imaginations.”

But despite several memories shared of seeing their first movie at the theater, or more popularly, “Star Wars,” council members disagreed on whether to grant the building a historical status.

“I don’t see the building as very old and I don’t see it as very historic,” said Mayor Chuck Reed.

Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio said the historical designation would be a mistake, given that the land the theater currently occupies could be very valuable for business and residential growth.

“We don’t want to kill the golden goose while we have an opportunity here,” he said.

The state Historic Resources Commission has also recommended the dome theater be granted status as a national historical landmark, and that decision is expected to be handed down in the coming weeks.

Follow Katie Nelson at Twitter.com/katienelson210.