Silvia Flores / The Press-Enterprise
The city of Riverside is converting the Fox Theater, built in 1929, into a 1,600-seat performing arts center. It will be made earthquake- safe and will have an expanded stage and new lighting systems.
The City Council on Tuesday awarded a contract for up to almost $30 million to Santa Ana-based Bayley Construction to design and carry out the renovation of the historic Fox Theater downtown.
The city is converting the structure, built in 1929, into a 1,600-seat performing arts center. It will be made earthquake-safe and will have an expanded stage as well as the latest lighting, sound and video systems. It will be made accessible to the disabled.
The $29.8 million contract calls for Bayley to do the work in 21 months. It includes $22.5 mil- lion for design and construction, $2.3 million for optional additional work and a 20 per-cent contingency fund of almost $5 million.
The city’s hope is that the past will represent downtown’s future.
Officials see the Fox as the centerpiece of their downtown revitalization efforts, which focus on making the city an arts and culture mecca for the Inland region. It is one of the largest projects included in the Riverside Renaissance Initiative, the city’s plan for $785 mil-lion worth of projects in the next five years.
“This is a major, major deal in terms of putting us on the map,” Councilman Dom Betro, whose ward includes downtown, said about the Fox on Monday. “This is our breakthrough.”
A Broadway show producer, the Nederlander Organization, has expressed an interest in bringing its touring productions to the Fox.
Concerts, conventions, graduations and performances by local arts groups are uses the city is considering renting the Fox for, officials said.
But the city does not expect the Fox to be a moneymaker by itself, Assistant City Manager Michael Beck said. Its economic value lies mainly in stimulating spending by its patrons at other locations, such as restaurants and bars, he said.
Plans call for a bank loan to pay for the construction, though the city initially expects to borrow some money from its $275 million cash pool so it can get the work rolling before the loan is in place, Beck said.
The city also hopes to obtain close to $4 million in federal tax credits.
The city ultimately plans to sell off more than $75 million in surplus property to help pay for the Fox and some other Renaissance projects.
La Sierra resident Yolanda Garland criticized the project and its cost, saying it would be better for a private investor to restore the Fox.
Downtown resident Chani Beeman recalled the people who mocked the plans to restore the Mission Inn and said the Fox rehabilitation will pay off for the city.
Demolition of portions of the building and removal of asbestos and other toxic materials will start in January, said Robert Wise, the city’s project manager for the Fox. Construction is likely to being in April, he said.
Dave Kellstrand, director of theater facilities at UC Riverside, said 32 years ago he went on his first date to the Fox with the woman who is now his wife.
The $30 million renovation cost is not out of line, he said, especially considering historic buildings often have unforeseen problems.
“I’d just really like to see it succeed,” Kellstrand said.
Preservation expert Knox Mellon, a Riverside resident, said the Fox is the last historic building in Riverside he expects to need such an expensive overhaul.
RIVERSIDE – Call it the 21st century Fox.
Silvia Flores / The Press-Enterprise
The city of Riverside is converting the Fox Theater, built in 1929, into a 1,600-seat performing arts center. It will be made earthquake- safe and will have an expanded stage and new lighting systems.
The City Council on Tuesday awarded a contract for up to almost $30 million to Santa Ana-based Bayley Construction to design and carry out the renovation of the historic Fox Theater downtown.
The city is converting the structure, built in 1929, into a 1,600-seat performing arts center. It will be made earthquake-safe and will have an expanded stage as well as the latest lighting, sound and video systems. It will be made accessible to the disabled.
The $29.8 million contract calls for Bayley to do the work in 21 months. It includes $22.5 mil- lion for design and construction, $2.3 million for optional additional work and a 20 per-cent contingency fund of almost $5 million.
The city’s hope is that the past will represent downtown’s future.
Officials see the Fox as the centerpiece of their downtown revitalization efforts, which focus on making the city an arts and culture mecca for the Inland region. It is one of the largest projects included in the Riverside Renaissance Initiative, the city’s plan for $785 mil-lion worth of projects in the next five years.
“This is a major, major deal in terms of putting us on the map,” Councilman Dom Betro, whose ward includes downtown, said about the Fox on Monday. “This is our breakthrough.”
A Broadway show producer, the Nederlander Organization, has expressed an interest in bringing its touring productions to the Fox.
Concerts, conventions, graduations and performances by local arts groups are uses the city is considering renting the Fox for, officials said.
But the city does not expect the Fox to be a moneymaker by itself, Assistant City Manager Michael Beck said. Its economic value lies mainly in stimulating spending by its patrons at other locations, such as restaurants and bars, he said.
Plans call for a bank loan to pay for the construction, though the city initially expects to borrow some money from its $275 million cash pool so it can get the work rolling before the loan is in place, Beck said.
The city also hopes to obtain close to $4 million in federal tax credits.
The city ultimately plans to sell off more than $75 million in surplus property to help pay for the Fox and some other Renaissance projects.
La Sierra resident Yolanda Garland criticized the project and its cost, saying it would be better for a private investor to restore the Fox.
Downtown resident Chani Beeman recalled the people who mocked the plans to restore the Mission Inn and said the Fox rehabilitation will pay off for the city.
Demolition of portions of the building and removal of asbestos and other toxic materials will start in January, said Robert Wise, the city’s project manager for the Fox. Construction is likely to being in April, he said.
Dave Kellstrand, director of theater facilities at UC Riverside, said 32 years ago he went on his first date to the Fox with the woman who is now his wife.
The $30 million renovation cost is not out of line, he said, especially considering historic buildings often have unforeseen problems.
“I’d just really like to see it succeed,” Kellstrand said.
Preservation expert Knox Mellon, a Riverside resident, said the Fox is the last historic building in Riverside he expects to need such an expensive overhaul.
“I think it’s going to be a showpiece,” he said.
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