Stop, Drop and Roll

04 May 2007 | Alameda Community | John Knox White

I can’t explain why all three of my posts this week are about Park Street related economic ventures, I’m sure there’s a conspiracy to explain it all. Most likely, it’s all that money that the district sends me at the end of each month!

I was lucky enough to visit the Alameda Theater Project as part of a tour given to the Alameda Currents TV show and airing Next Thursday on AP&T at 7:30 (Ch. 31). I’m responsible for the shaky camera work!

I have to admit to following the rhetoric and the politics of the theater project more than the design guidelines, and so I went in armed only with knowledge based on the he said/she said of the drama and controversy surrounding the project. (Given the power players in the drama, it’s probably she said/she said).

I went in expecting to see a gutted builiding, all the flourishes sandblasted from the walls, paint flaking off historic mouldings that weren’t going to be fixed. Essentially, a non-existent historical renovation that preserved the “Box” that is the theater, but removed or ignored much of the details.

What I found was so counter to this belief that I actually walked out a bit awed. (It’s hyperbole day here at SD&R).

From the re-leafing of the Gold leaf walls and columns, to the work on the ceiling (which has scaffolding a mere 7-8 feet below it, so we got to walk around and have a good look. The lighting that’s going in looks great, and I’m excited to see the original light fixtures once they are wired and lit up.

If one thing lived up to my expectations, it was the “they’re not going to fix the ceiling.” The ceiling has a number of 3inch round holes that have been drilled into it. At present the plan is to leave them as holes (though I hear there’s a chance that some additional funds will be found to patch these while the scaffolding is still up, cause once it comes down, it’s going to be a long time before anyone works on the ceiling again.

If you’re interested in what’s happening in the theater, check out Alameda Currents next week, or online at www.tvalameda.com (it’ll be uploaded sometime shortly after it airs.