Dear Friends,
The Cerrito Theater renovation project is moving forward! A report to the El Cerrito Redevelopment Agency on April 4th indicated construction will begin this summer, if all goes according to plan. We are planning a celebration to coincide with groundbreaking and will keep you informed about plans.
Donor plaques
We are finalizing the design of plaques to recognize donors of $100 and more. These designs will soon be available for viewing on our website, cerritotheater.org. Watch for an announcement. Thus far, several hundred individuals have made cash contributions, and several dozen local businesses have contributed in-kind gifts.
Jerri Holan
Jerri Holan, one of the architects designing the Cerrito Theater renovation, recently appeared in The Contra Costa Times:
"ARCHITECT JERRI HOLAN loves restoring old buildings and homes. That is why she is so enjoying working on the renovation of the old Cerrito Theater. She loves the idea of the theater being open to the public once more, with its beautiful murals, etched glass and handsome doors..." Read more. Free registration required.
Status of the project
1. The two story, two theater design includes an elevator and additional, proposed accessibility features for deaf and/or blind patrons, the latter a direct result of efforts by Friends members and the Albany/El Cerrito Access focus group. The Friends are committed to the installation of rear-window captioning and audio narration equipment in the theater. In another month or two, we will know if a special fundraising campaign will be required to cover the costs of the proposed equipment and installation. If you support the idea of the theater including this equipment, and/or can help with the fundraising, please let us know. (This equipment is separate from the required elevator.)
2. The box office will be rebuilt in its original location, at the edge of the sidewalk. This is made possible by the fact that CALTRANS has relinquished control of the sidewalk in front of the theater (and other areas) to the city of El Cerrito. This also facilitates the placement of star-shaped plaques in the sidewalk, which will be used to recognize the largest donors to the renovation project ($5,000 and above).
3. The design preserves the original, oval shape of the lobby.
4. Patrons will still enter the first floor theater from the back of the theater, so the murals will be in full view.
5. The second floor theater will be decorated with murals similar to the originals in the downstairs theater.
6. The marquee and blade with neon-outlined lettering have been redesigned to match a photo of the theater exterior that was provided by Jack Kirby. Like some of the accessibility improvements mentioned above, it may be necessary to raise additional funds to support this feature. We'll know soon.
7. The exterior colors will match the historic interior colors.
8. All of the original, etched glass doors will be used, thanks to the fact that the city has applied state historic building codes to the project.
Renovated theaters opening around the Bay
The Lark Theater in Larkspur, an Art Deco landmark, has reopened after extenstive renovations. An article about the theater appeared recently in the San Francisco Chronicle, April 15, 2005. "On a wing and a prayer, Lark stays aloft."
The 800-seat Campanile theater in Antioch also recently reopened as a regional arts center following a major effort to renovate it. "El Campanil is ready for Act 2: Antioch's classic theater reopens as an arts center and movie house." Contra Costa Times, October 7, 2004. Free registration required.
Thanks for reading!
Friends of The Cerrito Theater Steering Committee
