Landis Theatre

teecee on August 22, 2008 at 2:20 am

Friday, August 15, 2008
From staff reports

VINELAND – The redevelopers of the Landis Theater have been awarded a $8,000,000 “new market” tax credit from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The tax credit will provide more than $2,000,000 in direct equity toward the renovation of the historic center city theater, according to Hans Lampart, president of Eastern Pacific Development, the redevelopment company heading the project.

“This is the driving piece of the financial package necessary to complete our plan for a dynamic, fully renovated performing arts theater for downtown Vineland,” said Lampart in a released statement.

The City of Vineland and Eastern Pacific Development have undertaken a four corners redevelopment plan at the East and Landis avenues intersection. That arrangement specified that the theater project should proceed as the first of the four corners to be completed.

Additional funding pieces for the Theater renovation project include:

N.J. Preservation grant: $750,000

Historic Tax Credit equity: $1,650,000

Urban Enterprise Loan: $3,000,000

UEZ Faade Loan/Grant: $500,000

According to Lampart, the EDA tax credit allocation brings the total funding package to $7,900,000, the amount budgeted by Eastern Pacific to successfully transform the dilapidated theater structure into a new community performing arts center. The New Market and Historic equity is being funded by US Bank.

Partial demolition and preparation for new construction at the theater site is ongoing. It is projected that the complex would be completed by October of 2009.

Lampart was unavailable Wednesday for questions or comments.

View link

HowardBHaas on April 9, 2008 at 12:24 am

Another video link of above groundbreaking including interview with architect:
http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=5131

LVP on March 29, 2008 at 2:27 am

From The Daily Journal web site

VINELAND: Groundbreaking for Landis Theater redevelopment set for Wednesday
From staff reports

VINELAND â€" Eastern Pacific Development will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the revitalization of the Landis Theatre.
The ceremony begins 3 p.m. in the theater lobby at East and Landis avenues.
Restoration of the theater, built in 1937 in the Art Moderne style, is the first step in a major downtown revitalization project that city officials consider crucial to the future of the city’s downtown.

The $6.5 million theater project, scheduled for completion in mid-2009, is part of the planned redevelopment of the four corners at East and Landis avenues.

LVP on March 4, 2008 at 11:56 pm

UPDATE!!!
The start of renovation is to begin with site plan approvals in the following month. All construction documents are to be submitted for permits immediately following site plan approval. Interior demolition of the lobby is well underway, original conditions were field measured, photographed and detailed. Due to extensive water damage, the interior partitions and finishes were not able to be saved. The remaining interior light fixtures were carefully removed today. A seating consultant was contacted regarding the option of renovating the original seats (he said hello, Howard!), this decision is now in the owners hands.

HowardBHaas on February 12, 2008 at 3:18 pm

the original Intro is out of date, but for history purposes, I am copying it here:
The Landis Theatre was originally a stop on the vaudeville circuit but eventually became a full fledged movie theater.

The Landis Theatre Redevelopment Association (located at 560 Chestnut Terrace in Vineland) has been struggling for years to prevent the destruction of this exceptional structure but as of yet no renovation has taken place. The owner of the Landis Theatre, along with a handful of volunteers, is working feverishly to comply with the city of Vineland, New Jersey over health code violations. The former art deco movie house was cited for everything from not cleaning up debris and pigeon feaces to failing to fix a broken retaining wall. Landis supporters haven’t had much luck lately after the city denied a $600,000 grant application to restore it, and the owner was then forced to return over $450,000 from a grant from the state’s Historic Trust because it could not match the funds. Fortunately, The Landis is listed on the National Register of Historic Places which should help protect it from being torn down in the near future.

LVP on August 11, 2007 at 12:41 am

AUGUST 9, 2007 LOCAL NEWS ARTICLE
Latest story about theatre renovation in local hispanic paper. Read online in english at http://suvozonline.com/
Also, the photo gallery has up-to-date photos (no physical work has begun but lots of work has been done).

LVP on July 17, 2007 at 12:27 am

jwparch.com is the web site of the firm working on the project, they have contact info on their site

HowardBHaas on July 15, 2007 at 7:39 pm

9-15-1937 The Exhibitor features the NEW Landis Theatre, Vineland, N.J. Architect W. H. Lee, Philadelphia, PA. Owner Cumberland Holding Co.

published in The Exhibitor:

Blueprint which underneath says Lot 80 ft x 200 ft. Seating Capacity 1200. Cost, without ground: $95,000
View link

Below the blueprint is a photo (from Howard Haas: LOOK AT THE PORTHOLE WINDOWS VERY ART DECO- LIKE A SHIP) with text as follows.
View link
An outstanding new feature in design is the Zeppelin streamlining of the standing rail and windbreak between lobby and auditorium. The glass sheets anchored in bronze framework are tilted at such an angle as to eradicate the necessary echo which forced most theatres to remove such glass with the coming of sound. When sound strikes the deflected surface, it is batted down and the possibility of echo is removed.

Bottom photo on The Exhibitor page with text as follows
View link
An exterior showing the modern treatment obtained by the use of light brick, stainless steel, terra cotta base and glass brick

Later in the same The Exhibitor issue is a feature on Glass Brick with more Landis Theatre photos-

Photo of the Cosmetic Room (from Howard Haas: LOOK AT THE GLASS BLOCK COSMETIC ROOM!) with text as follows
View link
The Cosmetics Room at the new Landis Theatre, Vineland, NJ. W. H. Lee, Architect. The glass treatment contributes privacy while permitting cheerful sunlight at matinee time. The room lighting passing through the transparent substance contributes to the exterior building line at night.

Finally, there’s another exterior photo with text as follows:
View link
A corner of the exterior of the new Landis Theatre, Vineland, N.J. W. H. Lee, Architect. Inlaid in light brick and terra cotta and outlined with stainless steel, glass brick carries out the modern curve, and lighted from the room within accentuates the night time lighting.

teecee on June 17, 2005 at 11:18 am

Some 1987 ads about midway down this link:
View link

Jerseygal on March 9, 2005 at 7:21 pm

The history link was very informative TC thank you for posting it. I plan to print it out for further referance.

RGaudelli on March 4, 2005 at 7:44 pm

I was an usher at the Landis 1960-1962. Working with me then was Don, Ernie, and Carlos. Betty was in the front cashier’s booth and Bert collected tickets. It’s sad to see in Crazy Bob’s pix above the disrepair the Landis has suffered.

Ron Gaudelli

ciba on June 11, 2004 at 6:43 am

Note: This is a great deco theater and we are working to restore it to its original 1937 splender. Anyone wishing to help the Landis Theater Redevelopment Association, Inc. (Non-Profit Organization) with the restoration project may call: 1-856-794-6021 for further information. On a further note, Cheif Peter Torres, is working on a historical theater disply and needs to track down two of the old Budco Quality Theater, Inc. Ussers red jackets with the Budco logos
or any old pictures of the Landis Theater that you may have in your dusty attics. Please contact Cheif Torres at 1-856-207-8568 to help with the historic theater display project. Any donations may be made to the “Landis Theater Redevelopment Association”. call for mailing address information.

sears on January 17, 2004 at 8:42 pm

The Landis was one of many theatres operated by the Budco cir.
Budco operated mostly drive-ins in PA, DE, and NJ. It was the largest operator of D-I’s in the whole area. A GREAT company to work for.