Palace Theatre Restoration Progress Update:
We're down, but We'll be Back!!
Update September 11, 2012:Hi everyone!
This Friday the 14th is our Grand Opening of the New Palace Theatre!
It's been a long five months since the fire that shut us down, but we're ready to bounce back for another 76 years! (Although by that time I will be 139 years old and probably not quite so spry...)
Not everything is done, we'll seem a bit disorganized (so, what's new?) and yet we will be re-opening Friday for your movie enjoyment...
Friday will feature free tours of the restoration starting at 4:00 PM and running until 6:00. The time-stamped tour tickets are free (but limited to two per requester to be fair to everyone) and will be available at several Silverton merchants, including Zebra Print, Silver Creek Coffee House and the Cafe Earth in the Green Store. Other stores with tickets will have a poster in their window while tickets are available.
Friday evening we will have one Premiere Opening Performance of Walt Disney's latest feature "The Odd Life of Timothy Green." Doors open shortly after 7:00 with ample time for a look-see and some introductory remarks before starting the feature about 8:00. To see the preview and clips Click Here.
Tickets for the Premiere Opening Performance are $15 and available now on-line at Brown Paper Tickets (see link below). The entire net proceeds of the Premiere Performance will be donated to the Silverton Fire Department in appreciation of their quick and effective response to the fire. Without them there would be no Palace and we are very grateful. (Our fire department is volunteers - and they are currently recruiting for firefighters - check it out!)
The ticket link for the Grand Opening Is Here and a limited number are available.
If you have a Golden Ticket please note that they are still as good as ever, but just not for the Premier Opening - we want to give the fire department something, and although we at the Palace treasure the little 'punch outs' from the Golden Tickets, they don't have much value to them... Use your Golden Tickets at any regular performance!
We will be resuming our normal 7-day a week schedule (and regular pricing) on Saturday.
No increase in ticket or snack prices, here's the info from our last pre-fire email:
Our current Palace admission prices - still among the lowest on the planet for First-Run movies - $7.50 General, 5.50 Child/Senior and $5.00 Bargain Matinees. For 3D pictures, add $2.50 per person. Thursdays at 7:00 are Food Bank Night - bring two commercial food items for the Food Bank and get in for just $5.00 per person, or $7.50 for 3D features!
Giant 40' Screen, 3-D when available, Digital Picture and Sound, real butter on the popcorn and affordable prices... Check the Palace First for your movie entertainment!
If you're offended by being referred to as a 'Senior' at our boxoffice (meaning we give you a discounted admission), may I suggest spending the $2 you save on admission at our Snack Bar / Nutrition Center on something tasty and decadent? Our fresh, hot popcorn topped with real creamery butter will make those feelings just melt away!
Also, we're Tweeting once or twice a week with a reminder about what's playing and other fun stuff. Follow us at: @palacesilverton
We'll see you at the movies!
Update September 6, 2012:
Hi everyone,
This is the announcement I am sure you have been waiting for - We have an Opening Date and it's coming very soon!
We spent Tuesday unloading a 40-foot tractor-trailer of new seats, and that's the critical path item we were waiting for to be able to set an opening date... There's still a lot of work to do (and some things probably won't be completed before we open... but they'll be attended to in short order...)
We're targeting Friday, September 14th for our Grand Opening... We debated whether this was a 're-opening' or not... and since almost everything inside the building is new or newly restored, we decided to have a Grand Opening of a 'new' 1936 movie theatre (with 'state of the art' 21st Century entertainment technology carefully hidden away).
Yes, that's Oktoberfest weekend... so if you're off in Mt. Angel chicken dancing and miss our opening day we're still here for the rest of time for your movie enjoyment. We'll be playing a family movie from Disney Studios "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" and I'll provide the usual weekly synopsis next week.
Because there's been so much interest in what we're doing to the theatre, we've decided to open early next Friday for free tours of the restoration, prior to our first screening. Starting at 4:00 PM we will be touring the theatre and showing off our 'new old' look to our friends and loyal patrons. Although these tours are free, we are asking that you get a time ticket at a local merchant to avoid swamping us at the theatre. Details on ticket availability will be in a subsequent email.
Also, during the 5 months we've been down a couple of our staff members have found other employment so we are actively recruiting for replacements. Click Here for details. This is an ideal job for high school students looking for a little (very little :) spending money.
With you support, encouragement and assistance we will make it through and be back better than ever, once again showing the best in Hollywood entertainment on our giant screen in High Definition Digital.
If you'd like to make a donation to the Silverton Volunteer Fire Department in appreciation of their quick response and effective suppression of the fire, there's an account at West Coast Bank (Palace Restoration Fund) you can donate to - and we'll pass it along to them when we re-open.
Our thanks to all of you once again for your continued patronage and support! This is an amazing community - We'll see you at the movies!
Theatre staff:
Stu, Roger, Barbie, Danaka, Austin, the other Austin and Cody!
And a big "Thank You" to building owner Marjorie Eng!
Update August 27, 2012:
Hi everyone,
It's way past time for another update, but I figured you'd rather have me working on the restoration than keyboarding an update. There's a bit of repetition in this message from the previous edition a couple of weeks ago to put things into perspective.
I'm delighted to report that the theatre is starting to look like a theatre again - although at the moment it is without seats, screen, stage curtain or working projection equipment. That horrible empty feeling we all had after the fire is now being replaced with excitement and anticipation of the completion of the restoration...
The new ceiling is completed and painted, and the giant scaffolding that was filling the auditorium was removed several weeks ago. This gave the painter access to paint the wall columns and over this last weekend the epoxy floor coating had time to cure. I got as close to 'real work' as I care to at this stage in my life, spending a lot of time on my hands and knees patching holes in the floor and sanding it down prior to the painting.
The acoustical wall panels for the auditorium were installed last week, and the sound quality in the auditorium went from horrible ringy-tingy to 'shhh'. The old wall panels were horsehair insulation covered with burlap, the new panels are two inch thick high-density fiberglass covered with IFR material. We kept the red/green color scheme, but the new panels are much more vivid - which makes sense since they are 76 years newer!
The newer seats we installed about 10 years ago have been cleaned and are supposed to be delivered back to the theatre for installation this week.
New seats to replace the 1935 ones are in the works, with delivery tentatively scheduled for the end of this month. We are wildly optimistic about re-opening sometime in September if everything happens on schedule - and it's not too early to start thinking about our re-opening party. As soon as we have the new seats on site we will be able to set a definite re-opening date.
The replacement auditorium surround speakers and backstage sub woofers have arrived and are sitting in the lobby awaiting installation. I'm de-installing the projection equipment prior to delivery of the replacement projector and sound equipment. This give me a chance to re-design the booth layout afresh and eliminate a rats nest of wire that has grown over the years as new things were added but nothing was subtracted
That's about all there is to report at this time: Work is rapidly progressing on the restoration and we'll be busy busy busy. Silverton's own Dennis Downey Construction as the General Contractor has been coordinating the efforts of multiple subcontractors. If you're interested in seeing what's happening, Dennis has posted some pictures of the ongoing project on his Facebook page: (You must be logged into Facebook to view).
We are using as much local talent as possible - but we have to be sure everything is done properly so the 'smoke smell' doesn't come back to haunt us after a while. So far, our local providers include architect Victor Madge, structural engineer Dana Smith, Dennis Downey Construction and Silverton Electric Company. Robert Wagner of Wagner Woodworking has built and mostly installed the new snack bar cabinetry. Robert's design has done a great job of keeping the original 'look' and gained us a bit of additional storage and counter space.
We are planning the re-opening party to allow some 'tours' of the theatre prior to our first movie presentation to give everyone a chance to see it with the lights turned up bright. Dennis & crew and all the subcontractors are justifiably proud of their work and want a chance to show it off. No firm date yet - when we know, we'll post ticket pricing information and links.
I am told this process is proceeding at the normal rate, but like you we're anxious to move ahead and get re-opened so you don't miss out on great Hollywood entertainment on the big screen at the Palace.
With you support, encouragement and assistance we will make it through and be back better than ever, once again showing the best in Hollywood entertainment on our giant screen in High Definition Digital.
If you'd like to make a donation to the Silverton Volunteer Fire Department in appreciation of their quick response and effective suppression of the fire, there's an account at West Coast Bank (Palace Restoration Fund) you can donate to - and we'll pass it along to them when we re-open.
Our thanks to all of you once again for your continued patronage and support! This is an amazing community - We'll see you at the movies!
Theatre staff: Stu, Roger, Barbie, Danaka, Austin, the other Austin and Cody!
And a big "Thank You" to building owner Marjorie Eng!
Update July 18, 2012:
Hi everyone,
It's about time for an update (actually, it's way past time for an update but we've been busy busy busy.) There's a bit of repetition in this message from the previous edition last month to put things into perspective.
Also, although the 'Subject' says 3 items, I'm going to send 3 separate emails to keep relevant subjects together..
Here's the 'Restoration' Update:
We've made a lot of progress - up until about 3 weeks ago we were still in 'demolition' mode - removing fire and smoke-damaged bits and pieces. Every time we thought we'd reached the end of the smoke damage, something else turned up. Finally, the demolition is over and we are really in 'restoration' mode now.
Silverton's own Dennis Downey Construction as the General Contractor has been coordinating the efforts of multiple subcontractors.
The original lobby finish was real lath and plaster, with gracefully curved surfaces in 'Art Deco' style. The fire forced removal of all that and the space looked pretty awful afterwards. Dennis found a plasterer who could duplicate the original contours, and the lobby now looks brand new, ready for a coat of paint. It's gorgeous!
We took the traveler curtain to a laundry (new China Laundry in Portland - they had a machine big enough to fit it into) to see if it could be cleaned - and it looks (and smells) like new! We really need to stretch it out and make sure it didn't shrink, but so far, so good! We're having them try to clean the velour drapery fabric also, considering how well the curtain turned out! The curtain actuator motor controls seem to have been toasted, so that's another item on the 'to-do list. We keep finding little things things like that...
We're figuring out how to reproduce the acoustic quality of the original auditorium wall covering - it was a burlap-like broadloom fabric called 'monk's cloth' stretched over a thick layer of horse hair acoustically absorbent pad. Needless to say, you can't get that stuff any more, so we have found a fabric-wrapped fiberglass insulation board with similar acoustic qualities. We will try to duplicate the original red and green wall covering colors - but a little less faded.
As we peeled back the paint from the walls we were able to get an idea of the original color scheme when the Palace opened - and we're using this as a guide for the restoration.
The original plaster ceiling, new drywall ceiling and attic insulation were removed and replaced. We worked hard to reproduce the original 1935 'stucco' ceiling which is a big asset in dispersing sound from the screen speakers and reducing echo. It looks almost exactly like the original!
New seats to replace the 1935 ones are in the works, but delivery is only tentative for the end of August. We are wildly optimistic about re-opening sometime in September if everything happens on schedule - and it's not too early to start thinking about our re-opening party.
That's about all there is to report at this time: Work has really started on the restoration and we'll be busy busy busy. If you're interested in seeing what's happening, Dennis Downey has posted some pictures of the ongoing project on his Facebook page:
We are planning on using as much local talent as possible - but we have to be sure everything is done properly so the 'smoke smell' doesn't come back to haunt us after a while. So far, our local providers include architect Victor Madge, Dennis Downey Construction and Silverton Electric Company, with more on the horizon. Robert Wagner of Wagner Woodworking is doing drawings of the snack bar restoration - we'd like to keep the original 'look' and get a bit of additional space and still have good access to the rest rooms and storage areas.
I am told this process is proceeding at the normal rate, but like you we're anxious to move ahead and get re-opened so you don't miss out on great Hollywood entertainment on the big screen at the Palace.
With you support, encouragement and assistance we will make it through and be back better than ever, once again showing the best in Hollywood entertainment on our giant screen in High Definition Digital.
If you'd like to make a donation to the Silverton Volunteer Fire Department in appreciation of their quick response and effective suppression of the fire, there's an account at West Coast Bank (Palace Restoration Fund) you can donate to - and we'll pass it along to them when we re-open.
Our thanks to all of you once again for your continued patronage and support! This is an amazing community - We'll see you at the movies!
Theatre staff: Stu, Roger, Barbie, Danaka, Austin, the other Austin and Cody!
And a big "Thank You" to building owner Marjorie Eng!
Update June 18, 2012:
Hi everyone,
It's about time for an update (actually, it's way past time for an update but we've been busy busy busy.) There's a bit of repetition in this message from the last one to put things into perspective.
Long-time Silverton contractor Dennis Downey Construction has been engaged as the general contractor for the restoration of the Palace. Work is now proceeding to bring her back to life.
We've removed all the old 1930's vintage seats that were badly smoked up and could not be cleaned or restored. They were padded with ordinary cotton batting that absorbed a lot of smoke odor - and these old seats could not have been re-installed because the material doesn't meet current fire code requirements.
The newer seats that we installed about 10 years ago were sent to a cleaning facility near Portland that specializes in smoke removal and fire restoration. The seats will be cleaned and ozone-treated to remove odor, then stored until we're ready to re-install them.
The fire was confined to the snack bar area, but the smoke went _everywhere_, depositing a thin coating of stinky, baked-on soot on every surface. All the acoustical fabric on the auditorium walls was impregnated with smoke and had to be removed.
When I last wrote several weeks ago I said that the restoration had begun. It turns out that wasn't quite accurate - as we got better access to the ceiling area by installing a room-filling gigantic scaffold, it was determined that smoke also penetrated the space between the old and new ceilings so both ceilings had to be removed.
There was a small army of cleaning people from Servpro at the theatre last Thursday, Friday and Monday scrubbing every exposed wall, floor and ceiling surface. That process did a lot to significantly reduce the remaining smoke smell, and the next step is a 'smoke seal' paint coating that is supposed to eliminate the last of the odor.
One of the concrete beams in the lobby (the one directly above the center of the fire) was reinforced with an engineered steel channel and through-bolts as a 'belt and suspenders' kind of thing, even though it was probably still as strong as ever.
Rod Wanker and his crew at Silverton Electric have started installing new conduit and wiring in the attic and we're working on designing the electrical restoration of the snack bar area. We also took down all the classic auditorium light fixtures - some of the glass parts were cracked from the heat of the fire and all were dirty from the soot and smoke. We're having new pieces made to replace the broken bits and they'll look good as new when we reopen.
The projection screen was damaged by the smoke, we removed it and a replacement has been ordered. Electronic and projection equipment that was smoke damaged is being inventoried and replacements ordered as needed. The auditorium 'surround' speakers were bathed in smoke and will need replacement and the main stage speakers need a tone and power test to see what their future holds.
Replacement seats for the 1930 vintage ones that were not salvageable are on order - but the delivery time is uncertain right now.
We've taken the traveler curtain to a laundry to see if it can be cleaned and restored - and the curtain actuator motor controls seem to have been toasted. We keep finding little things like that...
We're figuring out how to reproduce the acoustic quality of the original auditorium wall covering - it was a burlap-like broadloom fabric called 'monk's cloth' stretched over a thick layer of horse hair acoustically absorbent pad. Needless to say, you can't get that stuff any more, so we are testing a 3 PCF fiberglass rigid board with fabric overlay that may work as a replacement.
As we peeled back the paint from the walls we were able to get an idea of the original color scheme when the Palace opened - and we're using this as a guide for the restoration.
That's about all there is to report at this time: Work has really started on the restoration and we'll be busy busy busy. This week Dennis and crew are replacing some damaged ceiling joists in the auditorium and starting to frame in the snack bar and repair the restroom walls. The 'smoke seal' paint coat throughout the building is imminent.
There's still no firm estimate as to when we will re-open, but it is coming!
If you're interested in seeing what's happening, Dennis Downey has posted some pictures of the ongoing project on his Facebook page:
We are planning on using as much local talent as possible - but we have to be sure everything is done properly so the 'smoke smell' doesn't come back to haunt us after a while. So far, our local providers include architect Victor Madge, Dennis Downey Construction and Silverton Electric Company, with more on the horizon. Robert Wagner of Wagner Woodworking is doing drawings of the snack bar restoration - we'd like to keep the original 'look' and get a bit of additional space and still have good access to the rest rooms and storage areas.
I am told this process is proceeding at the normal rate, but like you we're anxious to move ahead and get re-opened so you don't miss out on great Hollywood entertainment on the big screen at the Palace.
With you support, encouragement and assistance we will make it through and be back better than ever, once again showing the best in Hollywood entertainment on our giant screen in High Definition Digital.
If you'd like to make a donation to the Silverton Volunteer Fire Department in appreciation of their quick response and effective suppression of the fire, there's an account at West Coast Bank (Palace Restoration Fund) you can donate to - and we'll pass it along to them when we re-open.
Our thanks to all of you once again for your continued patronage and support! This is an amazing community - We'll see you at the movies!
Theatre staff: Stu, Roger, Barbie, Kory, Danaka, Austin, the other Austin and Cody!
And a big "Thank You" to building owner Marjorie Eng!
Hi everyone,
For those of you who have not heard the news, we had a fire at the Palace early this morning, (Wednesday, April 11). Everyone is safe, nobody was in the building at the time and the exact cause is still under investigation. I apologize if this message rambles a bit... it's been a long day.
Downtown resident Carla Mahler and Boomba, her Chinese crested dog that looks like it has a Mohawk hairdo, were passing by the front of the theatre, and noticed the fire inside and immediately called 911. Her quick action undoubtedly saved the Palace.
The Silver Falls Fire Department arrived within minutes and quickly brought the blaze under control. Words fail me to adequately express thanks for their prompt, efficient action. WOW!
The fire was centered at the snack bar popcorn machine but created a lot of heat and an incredible amount of smoke that permeated much of the building.
My initial impression was that a quick rebuild and rewiring of the snack bar and a good airing out of the building followed by a fresh paint job would be sufficient to return us to operation fairly soon. Discussions during the day with our insurance company and restoration contractors were not heartening - their estimate of the process said 'months' rather than my hoped-for 'weeks'.
The projection booth was sealed and locked so very little smoke leaked through the projection ports - I believe the new equipment is fine, but the fire restoration people are concerned that any smoke may be corrosive to the internal workings of the projector. I don't know - it's a new experience and not one I'm particularly anxious to repeat. An electronics restoration expert with specialized training will be on-site within a day or so to fully evaluate it.
The lobby snack bar area is a total loss, and the beautiful new ceiling, auditorium walls, screen, curtains, draperies, seats, art deco fixtures and other Palace 'signatures' are in varying states and may respond to cleaning and deodorizing, or may need to be replaced. We don't know yet.
Thank you to everyone who came by, phoned or emailed today and volunteered to help restore and reopen the Palace. This is the most amazing community on the planet and I am truly blessed to live here.
We don't even have a rough estimate yet of the financial implications of the fire. Very soon we will find out if we are adequately insured to cover the restoration expense and reopen. Buying and installing the new digital projector was a major stretch for us, this may be an even bigger challenge. With you support, encouragement and assistance we will make it through and be back better than ever, showing the best in Hollywood entertainment on our giant screen in High Definition Digital.
Thank you again - We'll see you at the movies!
Stu, Roger, Barbie, Kory, Danaka, Austin, the other Austin and the new hire whose name I forgot... Sorry!