Long awaited renovations on the 24th Street Theatre are moving forward. The theater was built in 1929 from plans by landmark architects Dean and Dean. Since the last building updates in 2005, the theater has held more than 600,000 people, 3,000 shows and 42,000 hours of activity.
First up is replacement of the roof. The work could not start until it was tested for asbestos; fortunately, none was found. The work on replacing the roof began Oct. 9 and was completed in three weeks — just in time for a performance. The cost to replace the roof will be $27,000. This phase needed to be done first due to all the dust and debris that would fall into the theater during the roofing work.
New seats, fabric and carpet styles have been selected. The seats are expected to cost $85,000, with $40,000 of that amount being paid for with a matching grant. Donations to help with the cost can be placed through the Sierra 2 website or in person at the office. We have $3,600 from the Big Day of Giving that will go toward the roof and seating. The seat replacement phase of the project is tentatively planned to start in March. The 270 existing theater seats will be sold with the hope this sale will raise $15,000-$20,000.
New seats can be purchased with your name or in honor or memory of an individual. Adding in other renovations, including carpet, microphone transmitters, curtains, sign, etc., SCNA expects to spend approximately $150,000 on the renovation. The project is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
