|
|
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
Serving Seguin and Guadalupe County since 1888
|
|
|
Marketplace
Sections
Services
Service Center
|
|
 |
|
Work is underway at Texas Theatre
Published November 20, 2009
SEGUIN — Renovations have begun on the oldest movie house in Seguin.
The Stephen and Mary Birch Texas Theater — built in the early ‘30s — is undergoing a makeover to give the relic a sparkle with new flooring, roofing, electrical lines and some other much needed modifications.
Steve Tschoepe, Texas Theatre Task Force chairman, said The Koehler Company started renovations on the classic movie house in early October and work is moving along smoothly.
“Right now they have done a lot of demolition work, like removing the walls or removing stuff that needs to be replaced,” he said. “The contract is for 10 months, but hopefully it is done sooner. We are excited and optimistic that everything will go according to plan.”
While some of the modifications the landmark will receive are cosmetic, one will help protect visitors and the building itself, Tschoepe said.
“We are putting a sprinkler system in the main auditorium,” he said. “When we researched it we were borderline of whether we had to put the sprinkler system in or not. So, we decided for health and safety reasons we would go ahead with putting it in for the protection of the theater and the people that might be in it.”
During the process, a small problem arose under the foundation, Tschoepe said but it was nothing a little “foam” wouldn’t fix.
“The foundation is intact it was just the base that needed a little work,” he said. “It was built in the 1930s, probably the technology was advanced then and they put down a good base and through the years that base has settled. Some of the areas did not need anything done, but some of the areas had to have less than an inch of what they call a foam type cement blown in.”
While the problem did cost a little extra, Tschoepe said, and issues like this were taken consideration into the budget.
“When you do any kind of changes or restoration you can expect things like that to come up,” he said.
Tschoepe said about $500,000 more is needed to complete the $2.5 million campaign.
“We still have plenty of time to raise money and we are still applying for grants,” he said. “We are still short some money, so we still need some community support to help finish it off.”
The ceiling of the completed theater will display a sea of stars and, in an effort to boost funds, the Conservation Society is offering everyone a chance to shine, Tschoepe said.
“The stars can be [bought] in honor of someone or in memory of someone or just to celebrate someone special in your life or just to have one in your own name,” he said. “We have probably sold right about 100 of them and it may sound like a lot, but that is a big sky in there that we are trying to fill. Some of them are going to be lobby stars as well, since we are putting stars in the lobby area, too.”
The organization will also be selling memorial seats for $1,000 a piece, Tschoepe added.
A tax-deductible donation to sponsor an auditorium star is $500 and a lobby star is $250.
Send donations to SCS/Texas Theatre Fund, PO Box 245, Seguin TX 78156 and the deadline for naming ceiling stars and seats is Dec. 31.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|