Main Street Matters, November 2014 Page: 5
14 p. : col. ill.View a full description of this periodical.
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Simon Theater, Brenham. Image Courtesy of The Brenham House Blog.
in the back of the theatre, totally
changing the look of the theatre.
Not satisfied with that solution,
the board voted in 2012 to
purchase the property next door
to the Simon on Douglas Street
for construction of restrooms and
additional meeting space for the
conference center.
Phase II of the project began
earlier this year when work on the
2nd floor ballroom began. This
phase includes adding the elevators
needed, renovation of the original
ballroom space, and adding second
and third floor spaces to the three-
story fly space above the theatre
stage, and a catering kitchen and
storage area.
For the past two years, the
board has been working with a
consultant on tax credits, as a way
to help raise the majority of the
funding still needed. Although
there was a major setback last year
when it was learned that the NewMarket Tax Credit investor had
backed out of this and similar
projects across the country, the
board now has investors for the
Federal Historic Tax Credit, and
the new State Historic Tax Credit.
It was the ability to take advantage
of these tax credits, along with
the more than $5M that had
been raised, that led the board,
in March, to make the decision
to move forward with Phase III
completing the renovation of
the theatre, and the restrooms
needed to complete the building's
renovation. This allows BMSHP
to receive a needed Certificate of
Occupancy by the end of the year,
as required by our federal tax credit
investor.
Since the beginning, BMSHP has
worked under the premise that this
downtown landmark should be
renovated to become a downtown
conference center, drawing
meetings and workshops to town
on weekdays, and using the facilityNote that although many people
want to restore historic theaters
because of their beauty and
history, it is important to have
a convincing plan of action
as to how the restoration will
benefit the community and be an
economic engine. Research is your
friend. Doing a full background
investigation on the property and
its previous uses will help you
plan for its future. Developing a
clear vision of your project goals
and a plan of action for restoringTexas Main Street Program TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 5
on weekends for a variety of
receptions and events, including
film festivals and showings of
classical, independent, and foreign
films, concerts, and educational
opportunities and programs.
Even 10 years later, the Business
Plan, written by the theatre
consultant, is timely and relevant,
with strategies, policies, and
management tools that ensure
both community service and
financial sustainability.
The whole fund-raising process
was long, and honestly, often
torturous. There have been great
highs, and there have been long
periods oflittle progress, but
the board was happy to recently
announce that the renovation
of the Simon Theatre will be
complete in the spring of 2015.
Click here to read more about the
history of the theater and the Save
The Simon project.
Now that you have some
inspiration as to what a theater
restoration looks like, both
physically and how it impacts the
community, it is time to examine
the use of historic theaters in your
Main Street.www.thc.state.tx.us
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Texas Historical Commission. Main Street Matters, November 2014, periodical, November 2014; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1551313/m1/5/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.