Burbank Seeks Patron for Theater Project

Hoping to complete funding for a new performing arts theater, city officials here are seeking a donor to give his or her name--and $500,000--to the project.

“When you look at all the arts facilities in L.A. that are named after folks--most of which came with much bigger price tags--plus the fact that we’re in the media capital of the world, . . . we really think that this will happen,” said Mary Alvord, director of Parks and Recreation for Burbank.

The theater has been in the works for nearly three years, ever since the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County moved out of its 14,000-square-foot branch location in the Media City Center, citing high operating costs. Soon after, the Colony Studio Theater’s proposal to move in was accepted.

Since then, the struggle has been to convert the building, which is on 3rd Street north of the indoor mall, into a 276-seat theater. The Burbank Redevelopment Agency allocated $750,000 to the project initially, but bids on the work were more than double that amount. The city scaled back on some amenities--such as a second theater space and an on-street ticket booth--and sent the project out for another round of bids.

The lowest bid this time was $1.3 million for construction. Other expenses, such as seating and project management, push the total completion costs to about $1.4 million.

The Department of Parks and Recreation, along with the Colony Theater, will send letters to prospective donors in the coming weeks. The City Council will vote on whether to accept the current bid at its meeting Aug. 18.

There are other possibilities to bridge the funding gap, as well. state Assemblyman Scott Wildman (D-Los Angeles) has requested $350,000 for the project as part of the state budget, according to legislative aide Greg Campbell. It is not included as part of the current budget, he said, but is up for committee consideration.

If both of those efforts fail, the Burbank City Council will have to either shelve the project, dip into the city’s reserve money or divert funds from another project, said Assistant City Manager Stephen Helvey.

If a donor or the state provides the money, the theater could be up and running by this time next year. The Colony Studio Theater, which has been operating a 99-seat theater in Silver Lake since 1975, would be the primary tenant and responsible for operation of the theater. But the space would also be open to use by community groups.