The Presidio Theatre officially broke ground on the renovation at a ceremony Wednesday morning, months after it was officially announced in June. The restoration will largely be funded by the Margaret E. Haas Fund.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
After Years of Disrepair, Construction Begins on Presidio Theatre
The Presidio Theatre officially broke ground on the renovation at a ceremony Wednesday morning, months after it was officially announced in June. The restoration will largely be funded by the Margaret E. Haas Fund.
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Admittedly, I know very little about the Presidio Theater, but from this article, I have learned about how this theater will be able to help the performers looking for spaces in San Franciso. It always hurts my heart a little bit when theaters and national landmarks have to close due to funding, so this news about the renovations and finally having enough money to revive it is really great. COming from Dallas, we have a lot of historical landmarks, including my high school, that would really hurt the Dallas community if we had to see them go. This is just evidence that more and more people need to help support the arts especially when the government is not.
Having not known much about the Presidio before reading this article, I looked up another one to round out the knowledge a little bit better:
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Again-the-show-will-go-on-at-long-dormant-11198048.php
I think that this restoration is an interesting one, thirty million dollars is a lot of money to be spending on a building that is nearing one hundred years old, so this foundation, The Margaret E. Haas, must be a pretty big deal. And after looking at their profile on GuideStar, this company is definitely a big deal as their net assets are over 70 million dollars. It will be interesting to see some of the enhancements and refinishing they accomplish in the space, as it was built in the early 30’s and will need modern upgrades structurally as well as functionally for theatre and other artistic events they want to host there. I think overall the outside look will remain the same, as that seems to be one of their main focuses besides upgrading the space for current theatrical standards.
I'm glad that the Presidio Theater is getting a renovation. All theaters should have that chance. There is something to be said for maintaining the history and integrity of the original theater. It doesn't sound like this is the case with the Presidio Theater. I'm not sure how the addition of two new pavilions will play into the original design. The idea of renovating a theater is more than about just its appearance on the outside. I've worked in many theaters where their lighting, rigging, or just facility in general is sketchy at best. Theaters are places where people should be able to go to escape, relax and enjoy themselves. They shouldn't be concerned with things like cracked ceilings, uneven steps, and lack of access in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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