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Renovations
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June 22, 2004
Park Theatre to Get Restoration
RACINE, WI — The Park Theatre was purchased in June of 2004 by the Westbury Group LLC, headed by a local man very much interested in theater preservation.
The theater will receive a complete restoration. Two store fronts will be incorporated into a much needed lobby and restroom expansion. The apartments located on the second floor will provide space for a new restaurant.
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June 15, 2004
Imperial Theatre in Montreal Reopens June 24 with Fahrenheit 9/11
MONTREAL, CANADA — An ad in today’s Montreal Gazette announced that the premiere of Michel’s Moore latest film will open at the Imperial Theatre on June 24. 2 more screens to open next door in 2005.
www.ffm-montreal.org
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June 10, 2004
Shea’s Reaches Fund-Raising Goal of $4.1 Million
BUFFALO, NY — A fundraising goal to raise $4.1 million by May 1st has been accomplished by the Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Buffalo’s largest live performance venue, according to this report from the Buffalo News.
The theater, which opened in 1926 and seats 3183, was designed by the Chicago-based architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp. The funds will enable Shea’s to pay for the five year-old stagehouse, repair the west south and east walls and finish exterior restorations.
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May 21, 2004
Sioux Falls State Theater Seeks Donations/Suggestions
SIOUX FALLS, SD — The Sioux Falls Film Society, present owners of the State Theater located in the heart of the downtown area, is seeking donations and other assistance in the restoration of the building.
The vaudeville/movie theater has been closed for ten years plus since it was last used as a movie theater. The Film Society was recently fortunate that a previous owner, Joe Floyd, donated $100,000, which paid off a bank mortgage on the building. However, any funding for further restoration must be provided by donations and other contributions.
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April 30, 2004
DuPage Theatre Gets Renovation, New Name
LOMBARD, IL — The 1928 DuPage Theatre in downtown Lombard is getting a slightly new name, the DuPage Theatre and Arts Centre, in an effort to show that the former movie palace isn’t only going to be showing movies once its nearly $6 million-plus restoration and renovation project is completed in about two years.
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City Council Explores Renovating Capitol Theatre
NEW LONDON, CT — The New London City Council is going to explore ways to renovate the long-abandoned Capitol Theatre and make it into a cultural attraction for the city, according to a new report in the New London Day.
The Capitol Theatre closed in 1974 after a fire marshall shut the theater down for code violations. It has remained padlocked ever since. Despite the fact that $400,000 was put into stabilizing the theater’s roof in 2000, the building is a wreck and would need millions of dollars of renovations to become a usable theater again.
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April 23, 2004
The Grand Rex Paris to Add More Screens?
PARIS, FRANCE — The huge capacity of the Grand Rex, a big atmospheric movie theatre with 2800 seats, and the evolution of the movie theater business in Paris (which is shifting to megaplexes) has convinced the owner of Grand Rex to think about the future and consider increasing the number of screens at the Rex (which has six screens in addition to its main screen — four next door and 2 underground).
A new project would add another 12 screens — with stadium seating, large glass corridors, and a lift driving patrons on the top of the building which has a terrace with a view — while preserving the original architecture of the landmarked building.
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April 22, 2004
Salina’s Fox Theatre Wins Peservation Award
SALINA, KS — The Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts, formerly the Fox Watson Theatre, was among five winners of the 2004 Preservation Awards from the Kansas Preservation Alliance.
The Topeka, Kansas based Preservation Alliance is a nonprofit group dedicated to advancing historic preservation. There are 10 projects nominated for the statewide awards and the agency picked the top five.
The Stiefel Theatre was a $2.5 million project to restore the Fox Theatre, a movie theatre that opened in 1931. The awards will be presented April 29 in Wichita, Kansas.
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March 29, 2004
Capitol Theatre Wins Approval for Masonry and Sign Repairs
FLINT, MI — The Flint Historic District Commission approved a plan on March 4th to make repairs to the Capitol Theatre building, according to this report in East Village Magazine.
The group issued a certificate of appropriateness to the owner of the Capitol Theater to repair part of its sign and to repair or replace deteriorated masonry.
“The tower portion of the sign needs to be repaired and repainted. The neon lights will also be removed,” said building owner Troy Farah.
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March 16, 2004
Enean Theatre Restoration Pics
PITTSBURG, CA — Jaime F Penuela sent in an update on the Enean Theatre (including pics of the theater’s restoration):
“Here are some pictures of the ongoing restoration of the Enean Theatre. We are in the early stages, but there are plans to convert it in to a multimedia theater and restaurant, serving the finest cuts of meat and international cuisine, along with a full bar (inside the shell of an old boat!) and a coffee shop.