“This is a photo of the North Park being used as a Farmers Market.
posted by Lost Memory on Nov 6, 2005 at 4:07pm”
More specifically, this photo shows the marquee of the shuttered theater being used to advertise North Park’s Thursday Night Market, about which you can learn more here:
Interestingly, the farmers market had to move due to the new parking garage built specifically to support the rehabilitation of the North Park Theatre and continued redevelopment nearby!
Today marks a new beginning for a decades-old downtown theater
By Preston Turegano
ARTS WRITER
July 25, 2005
EARNIE GRAFTON /Union-Tribune
[i]Fences and trash bins attest to preparations for the long-awaited renovation
of the Balboa Theatre, which officially begins today.[/i]
About 20 years ago, Steve Karo bought a ticket to get inside the Balboa Theatre â€" then a downtown San Diego movie house â€" and see the place up close.
At the time, Karo, a percussionist and admirer of old theaters, was reeling from the demolition of the 70-year-old, 400-seat Lyceum Theatre on F Street between Third and Fourth avenues.
“I loved that theater,” said Karo, who had performed in the Lyceum’s orchestra pit. “It still sickens me that we lost it, and we weren’t about to lose another if I could help it.”
Relegated to the role of X-rated movie theater, the old Lyceum was demolished to make way for the Horton Plaza parking garage. On the Fourth Avenue side of the 1985 retail project (at E Street) was the Balboa Theatre. Some advocates of progress wanted it torn down, too.
“What was being said in an effort to destroy the Balboa wasn’t accurate, so I got my flashlight, went to the Balboa and nosed around,” Karo said. “I was amazed at what I saw.”
Karo’s observations resulted in his organization of Save Our Balboa. Later, Karo and others formed the nonprofit Balboa Theatre Foundation, which handles funds associated with Balboa preservation efforts. In 1996, Karo and his wife, Mary, also helped steer the nomination of the Balboa to the National Register of Historic Places.
Today â€" after years of talks and unsuccessful bids to bring new life to the now 81-year-old theater â€" city officials will finally break ground for restoration of the former vaudeville venue.
“The Balboa Theatre is truly a jewel of downtown and Centre City Development Corp. is excited about overseeing its restoration,” said CCDC president Peter Hall. “When complete, San Diego will have preserved an important piece of local history and created a beautiful new theater.”
Once the $18.9-million rebuild is done in 2007, the city will have a new midsize â€" 1,300-seat â€" performance space available to arts groups and other organizations.
The San Diego Chamber Orchestra, California Ballet, Classic for Kids, La Jolla Music Society, San Diego Master Chorale, Christian Community Theater, Young Audiences of San Diego, and Art Productions have expressed interest in using the Balboa, according to Don Telford, president and chief operating officer of San Diego Theatres Inc. (the nonprofit corporation that manages the San Diego Civic Theatre and which will provide similar services for the Balboa).
Several smaller theater organizations are also potential users.
“There are a number of ‘homeless’ theater companies that are always searching for venues, and downtown is popular,” said Stephanie Casenza, executive director of the San Diego Performing Arts League.
Joe Kobryner, general manager of Broadway/San Diego, said Broadway/San Diego and its parent company, the Nederlander Producing Company of America, also might present shows at the new venue.
“Recently there has been an increase in the number of shows from Broadway and Off-Broadway that may tour and utilize smaller theaters, so we are exploring these opportunities,” Kobryner said.
Equally enthusiastic about the restoration is John Santuccio, executive director of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. The ensemble has been using three small venues â€" St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, Sherwood Auditorium and the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club â€" for its six-concert seasons. The Balboa will be the organization’s downtown site. The country club and Sherwood in La Jolla will still be used, Santuccio said.
“It’s the acoustics at the Balboa that I’m excited about,” Santuccio said. “That makes all the difference for an orchestra. I just hope we can afford the rental rates.”
As a result of meetings with officials of San Diego Theatres Inc., Santuccio said daily rent for the Balboa may be about $3,000 (by comparison, Copley Symphony Hall rents for approximately $2,500, or 10 percent of gross ticket sales, whichever is greater).
Kay Porter, president of the Balboa Theatre Foundation, said the foundation wants to establish an endowment fund â€" an amount to be determined â€" that would spin off enough interest to cover the cost of some Balboa Theatre rental nights for certain nonprofit groups.
CCDC acquired the Balboa through eminent domain in 1985. Over the years, several private proposals to turn the theater into a museum, a cabaret, a bookstore and a Jimmy Buffett-themed concert hall were considered, but none of the ideas were economically sound. In October 2002, CCDC decided to renovate the theater itself.
During its lifetime, the Balboa has been used for live performances (vaudeville and plays), as a place for military personnel to sleep during World War II, and as a movie theater.
Originally scaled to 1,534-seats, the renovated Balboa will have fewer seats, but larger and wider than those installed in 1924. Much of the renovation will consist of tearing out electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, and installing new replacements. Earthquake-retrofitting and modifications to accommodate the disabled also will be added.
“It’s going to be wondrously beautiful,” said Karo.
Well, the North Park isn’t actually lonely these days; it’s very close to staging live performances again, slated to begin later this year (!). News links and PDFs of architects' renderings are available here:
Unfortunately the Balboa is still closed (for any kind of theatrical or projection business) as of this posting. No $16M renovation nor 2003 reopening ever took place. But the UNION-TRIBUNE article below projects its reopening in 2007.
While the Balboa Theatre Foundation website, http://thebalboa.org/, seems to be offline today, apparently the Foundation will conduct a tour by appointment:
A downtown icon awaits a multimillion-dollar restoration
By Jonathan Heller
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
January 28, 2005
SCOTT LINNETT / Union-Tribune
The Balboa Theatre is in surprisingly good shape, considering it is 81 years old and has been shuttered for 20 years, said an architect helping the city of San Diego restore it.
The city’s downtown redevelopment agency is getting ready to start major reconstruction of the former vaudeville theater and movie house.
“This theater was lucky enough to be built in San Diego, rather than in an area with more temperature and humidity extremes,” said Paul Westlake, a Phoenix-based architect specializing in historic restorations.
Westlake and redevelopment officials did a walk-through yesterday in preparation for starting construction.
Westlake is helping the Centre City Development Corp. begin the $15.9 million project, which is expected to be finished in 2007.
The agency acquired the once-opulent theater next to Horton Plaza through eminent domain in 1985 and considered several private proposals to turn it into a museum, a cabaret, a huge bookstore and even a Jimmy Buffet-themed concert hall, but none of the ideas penciled out economically, said Eli Sanchez, a project manager with the agency.
In October 2002, the Centre City Development Corp. decided to renovate the theater itself and let nonprofit community groups host shows there.
“We’ve gone through a discovery phase with the building,” said Gary Bosse, senior project manager for the development corporation.
Westlake has renovated a small section of wall over the balcony with the original colors â€" brilliant reds, lavenders, greens and golds, among other shades.
The bulk of the job will be tearing out the building’s innards â€" electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems â€" and installing modern replacements. The building will need earthquake-retrofitting and modifications to accommodate the disabled.
“The guts of the whole thing will be new,” Westlake said. “What’s surviving is the historic shell and ornamental finishes.”
The 1,500 original seats will be replaced with 1,300 larger and wider ones, Westlake said. People are generally taller, and in many cases heavier, than was typical when the theater was built in 1924, he said.
The special fountains on either side of the stage will be returned to working order, and the original chandeliers will be restored, Bosse said.
The hall has superior acoustics thanks to its cube shape and perforated ceilings, meaning it can be used for non-amplified and amplified music, said Don Telford, chief operating officer for San Diego Theatres, which will manage the Balboa once it opens.
The theater’s heyday was in the mid-1920s through the 1930s. It fell into decline during World War II and at one point was used as a place for sailors to sleep temporarily. It mostly showed movies and offered few live performances when it closed in 1985, before Horton Plaza opened.
At 1,300 seats, the Balboa will occupy its own niche among downtown’s theaters, which include the 700-seat Lyceum Theatre, 2,200-seat Symphony Hall and 3,000-seat Civic Theatre.
“This is a photo of the North Park being used as a Farmers Market.
posted by Lost Memory on Nov 6, 2005 at 4:07pm”
More specifically, this photo shows the marquee of the shuttered theater being used to advertise North Park’s Thursday Night Market, about which you can learn more here:
http://www.northparkmainstreet.com/tnm/move.htm
Interestingly, the farmers market had to move due to the new parking garage built specifically to support the rehabilitation of the North Park Theatre and continued redevelopment nearby!
Latest news! The long-planned restoration officially began today with a completion date now set at 2007.
View link
STAGING A COMEBACK
Today marks a new beginning for a decades-old downtown theater
By Preston Turegano
ARTS WRITER
July 25, 2005
EARNIE GRAFTON /Union-Tribune
[i]Fences and trash bins attest to preparations for the long-awaited renovation
of the Balboa Theatre, which officially begins today.[/i]
About 20 years ago, Steve Karo bought a ticket to get inside the Balboa Theatre â€" then a downtown San Diego movie house â€" and see the place up close.
At the time, Karo, a percussionist and admirer of old theaters, was reeling from the demolition of the 70-year-old, 400-seat Lyceum Theatre on F Street between Third and Fourth avenues.
“I loved that theater,” said Karo, who had performed in the Lyceum’s orchestra pit. “It still sickens me that we lost it, and we weren’t about to lose another if I could help it.”
Relegated to the role of X-rated movie theater, the old Lyceum was demolished to make way for the Horton Plaza parking garage. On the Fourth Avenue side of the 1985 retail project (at E Street) was the Balboa Theatre. Some advocates of progress wanted it torn down, too.
“What was being said in an effort to destroy the Balboa wasn’t accurate, so I got my flashlight, went to the Balboa and nosed around,” Karo said. “I was amazed at what I saw.”
Karo’s observations resulted in his organization of Save Our Balboa. Later, Karo and others formed the nonprofit Balboa Theatre Foundation, which handles funds associated with Balboa preservation efforts. In 1996, Karo and his wife, Mary, also helped steer the nomination of the Balboa to the National Register of Historic Places.
Today â€" after years of talks and unsuccessful bids to bring new life to the now 81-year-old theater â€" city officials will finally break ground for restoration of the former vaudeville venue.
“The Balboa Theatre is truly a jewel of downtown and Centre City Development Corp. is excited about overseeing its restoration,” said CCDC president Peter Hall. “When complete, San Diego will have preserved an important piece of local history and created a beautiful new theater.”
Once the $18.9-million rebuild is done in 2007, the city will have a new midsize â€" 1,300-seat â€" performance space available to arts groups and other organizations.
The San Diego Chamber Orchestra, California Ballet, Classic for Kids, La Jolla Music Society, San Diego Master Chorale, Christian Community Theater, Young Audiences of San Diego, and Art Productions have expressed interest in using the Balboa, according to Don Telford, president and chief operating officer of San Diego Theatres Inc. (the nonprofit corporation that manages the San Diego Civic Theatre and which will provide similar services for the Balboa).
Several smaller theater organizations are also potential users.
“There are a number of ‘homeless’ theater companies that are always searching for venues, and downtown is popular,” said Stephanie Casenza, executive director of the San Diego Performing Arts League.
Joe Kobryner, general manager of Broadway/San Diego, said Broadway/San Diego and its parent company, the Nederlander Producing Company of America, also might present shows at the new venue.
“Recently there has been an increase in the number of shows from Broadway and Off-Broadway that may tour and utilize smaller theaters, so we are exploring these opportunities,” Kobryner said.
Equally enthusiastic about the restoration is John Santuccio, executive director of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. The ensemble has been using three small venues â€" St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, Sherwood Auditorium and the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club â€" for its six-concert seasons. The Balboa will be the organization’s downtown site. The country club and Sherwood in La Jolla will still be used, Santuccio said.
“It’s the acoustics at the Balboa that I’m excited about,” Santuccio said. “That makes all the difference for an orchestra. I just hope we can afford the rental rates.”
As a result of meetings with officials of San Diego Theatres Inc., Santuccio said daily rent for the Balboa may be about $3,000 (by comparison, Copley Symphony Hall rents for approximately $2,500, or 10 percent of gross ticket sales, whichever is greater).
Kay Porter, president of the Balboa Theatre Foundation, said the foundation wants to establish an endowment fund â€" an amount to be determined â€" that would spin off enough interest to cover the cost of some Balboa Theatre rental nights for certain nonprofit groups.
CCDC acquired the Balboa through eminent domain in 1985. Over the years, several private proposals to turn the theater into a museum, a cabaret, a bookstore and a Jimmy Buffett-themed concert hall were considered, but none of the ideas were economically sound. In October 2002, CCDC decided to renovate the theater itself.
During its lifetime, the Balboa has been used for live performances (vaudeville and plays), as a place for military personnel to sleep during World War II, and as a movie theater.
Originally scaled to 1,534-seats, the renovated Balboa will have fewer seats, but larger and wider than those installed in 1924. Much of the renovation will consist of tearing out electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, and installing new replacements. Earthquake-retrofitting and modifications to accommodate the disabled also will be added.
“It’s going to be wondrously beautiful,” said Karo.
Preston Turegano: (619) 293-1357;
Well, the North Park isn’t actually lonely these days; it’s very close to staging live performances again, slated to begin later this year (!). News links and PDFs of architects' renderings are available here:
http://www.northparkmainstreet.com/theatre.htm
The North Park will operated by Lyric Opera San Diego, formerly San Diego Comic Opera, known for years primarily for championing Gilbert & Sullivan:
http://www.lyricoperasandiego.com/
Unfortunately the Balboa is still closed (for any kind of theatrical or projection business) as of this posting. No $16M renovation nor 2003 reopening ever took place. But the UNION-TRIBUNE article below projects its reopening in 2007.
While the Balboa Theatre Foundation website, http://thebalboa.org/, seems to be offline today, apparently the Foundation will conduct a tour by appointment:
View link
View link
A downtown icon awaits a multimillion-dollar restoration
By Jonathan Heller
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
January 28, 2005
SCOTT LINNETT / Union-Tribune
The Balboa Theatre is in surprisingly good shape, considering it is 81 years old and has been shuttered for 20 years, said an architect helping the city of San Diego restore it.
The city’s downtown redevelopment agency is getting ready to start major reconstruction of the former vaudeville theater and movie house.
“This theater was lucky enough to be built in San Diego, rather than in an area with more temperature and humidity extremes,” said Paul Westlake, a Phoenix-based architect specializing in historic restorations.
Westlake and redevelopment officials did a walk-through yesterday in preparation for starting construction.
Westlake is helping the Centre City Development Corp. begin the $15.9 million project, which is expected to be finished in 2007.
The agency acquired the once-opulent theater next to Horton Plaza through eminent domain in 1985 and considered several private proposals to turn it into a museum, a cabaret, a huge bookstore and even a Jimmy Buffet-themed concert hall, but none of the ideas penciled out economically, said Eli Sanchez, a project manager with the agency.
In October 2002, the Centre City Development Corp. decided to renovate the theater itself and let nonprofit community groups host shows there.
“We’ve gone through a discovery phase with the building,” said Gary Bosse, senior project manager for the development corporation.
Westlake has renovated a small section of wall over the balcony with the original colors â€" brilliant reds, lavenders, greens and golds, among other shades.
The bulk of the job will be tearing out the building’s innards â€" electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems â€" and installing modern replacements. The building will need earthquake-retrofitting and modifications to accommodate the disabled.
“The guts of the whole thing will be new,” Westlake said. “What’s surviving is the historic shell and ornamental finishes.”
The 1,500 original seats will be replaced with 1,300 larger and wider ones, Westlake said. People are generally taller, and in many cases heavier, than was typical when the theater was built in 1924, he said.
The special fountains on either side of the stage will be returned to working order, and the original chandeliers will be restored, Bosse said.
The hall has superior acoustics thanks to its cube shape and perforated ceilings, meaning it can be used for non-amplified and amplified music, said Don Telford, chief operating officer for San Diego Theatres, which will manage the Balboa once it opens.
The theater’s heyday was in the mid-1920s through the 1930s. It fell into decline during World War II and at one point was used as a place for sailors to sleep temporarily. It mostly showed movies and offered few live performances when it closed in 1985, before Horton Plaza opened.
At 1,300 seats, the Balboa will occupy its own niche among downtown’s theaters, which include the 700-seat Lyceum Theatre, 2,200-seat Symphony Hall and 3,000-seat Civic Theatre.