Hawai'i Theatre receives $300K boost from state
By James Gonser
Advertiser Staff Writer
The state has released $300,000 to help restore and maintain the historic Hawai'i Theatre Center in downtown Honolulu and the center has secured $325,000 in matching funds from private donors.
Advertiser library photo • November 2004
The combined $625,000 will be used to repair the theater's roof; upgrade the lighting system, including replacing the computerized lighting board and installing energy-efficient technologies; upgrade the sound system; improve the box office; and repair the air-conditioning system. The money will also be used for pest abatement and control.
Improvement projects at Hawai'i Theatre, including repairs to its roof and air-conditioning system, are expected to begin this summer.
The improvement projects are expected to begin this summer. Sarah Richards, president of Hawai'i Theatre, said the repairs will allow customers to better enjoy their experience when attending events at the theater.
"We hope it gives them great confidence that the air conditioning will work and the roof won't leak when they are at the theater," she said.
The theater was built in 1922 and closed in 1989. It reopened in 1996 after a $22 million interior restoration. A ceremony in November last year marked the completion of an 18-month $10 million project to restore the exterior facade and install the marquee and 30-foot-high vertical "Hawaii" sign at the corner of Bethel and Pauahi streets.
A third $5-million phase of renovations will include work on the backstage area, Richards said, but that money is not part of the project that begins this summer.
"These funds are designated for repair and maintenance rather than capital improvement," Richards said. "You have to keep things in good shape and that is what this is about."
Richards said the improved lighting and air conditioning will also help reduce monthly electric bills.
"The Hawai'i Theatre is a jewel in downtown Honolulu, and its continued restoration contributes to the economic revitalization that is under way in Chinatown," said Gov. Linda Lingle. "This support from the state will help reassure private donors that their contributions and investment in the Hawai'i Theatre Center will be protected by proper maintenance of the building's physical plant."
Reach James Gonser at 535-2431 or jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com.
