Options Offered for Theater

Two options for the proposed rehabilitation of the Culver Theater for use by theatrical production companies, as well as film screenings, will be available for public comment over the next three months.

The plans are discussed in a feasibility study and a critique of that study, both of which the Redevelopment Agency voted on Tuesday to receive and file.

The feasibility study, prepared by Thirtieth Street Architects, recommends that the theater be refurbished to accommodate live performances, such as small ensembles or dramas involving a limited number of actors without orchestra or complex scenery changes. This plan would entail a minimum of refurbishing of the existing building.

The critique of the feasibility study, prepared by R. F. McCann & Co., Theater Architects, proposes a more extensive rehabilitation to accommodate “road-house” theater companies, which would require a higher stage area to accommodate more elaborate scenery. The more extensive renovation would add $1.8 million to the cost of the project.

Total cost for the renovation, which includes $1.5 million for asbestos removal, ranges from $3,838,493 to $5,638,493, depending on which option the agency chooses.

Both studies, as well as the staff report, will be on file at the City Hall library, and the Redevelopment Agency will solicit public comment on the project for the next 90 days before making any further decisions.

The theater, which closed in January, 1989, had operated as a three-screen movie house for 10 years. The Redevelopment Agency acquired the building in May, 1985, and attempted to sell it to Filmcorp Group Inc., but the two sides could not reach an agreement, and negotiations ended in June, 1987.