A Lompoc group has unveiled new specifics of its plans to restore and revive a historic theater building that it hopes to turn into a regional — and global — entertainment venue.
Friday marked the Lompoc Theatre Project’s third fundraiser of the year, and gave the nonprofit organization a chance to show off the conceptual renderings of how the building will look once it’s finished.
“We’re not only renovating the entire theater inside, but we are adding spaces to it as well, so it’s a big undertaking,” said Mark Herrier, board president of the Lompoc Theatre Project.
Herrier, an actor and director, grew up in Lompoc and appeared in the three Porky’s films in the 1980s, plus other productions.
Today, the building at 112 N. H St. is made up of a lobby and theater (both closed due to safety concerns) plus attached lower and upper offices that are occupied. A tack shed, reportedly the oldest standing structure in Lompoc, sits at the rear of the property.
Plans displayed Friday night call for relocating the tack shed to the H Street frontage, creating a small alley adjacent to the theater. The shed would be converted into offices.
Meanwhile, existing offices would be removed, with some walls retained to serve as a wind break for the patio lobby.
A new structure added to the rear of the building would house support spaces such as dressing rooms. On the second floor, plans call for creating a new multipurpose room, capable of hosting rehearsals, banquets and other events.
The stage and auditorium would be renovated and outfitted with modern technology. Lower level offices would become lobby and support areas. A digital marquee would replace the decrepit structure that engineers have deemed unsafe.
“The street presence of that theater is something that we don’t get on brand-new projects,” said Michael Ferguson, a principal with Los Angeles-based Theatre Projects Consultants. “The appeal of it, and especially with social media — this could have an international draw.”
The renderings are the result of a nearly yearlong collaboration with Theatre Projects Consultants, which does projects across the globe.
Coincidentally, one of firm’s founding members is a Benton Delinger, whose dad taught Herrier while he was a youngster growing up in Lompoc.
“The kismet of he and I working together on something near and dear is something pretty interesting,” Herrier added.
Delinger, Herrier and Ferguson are also all alumni of the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts.
Built in 1927, the Lompoc Theatre building is nearing a milestone anniversary.
“In a perfect world we’ll have our grand opening sometime during that year, but we’ll see,” Herrier said. “That’s being optimistic.”
Project leaders estimate it will take two years to complete the renovations once the funds are available to start construction.
One huge hurdle the Lompoc Theatre Project’s board hopes to clear soon is the building’s ownership, which is entangled with liens and assorted agencies. Earlier this year, the group signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Lompoc to outline steps needed before ownership can be transferred.
While Ferguson and his colleagues get to work on projects around the world, he said their favorites involve breathing new life into old buildings like the Lompoc Theatre. And the Lompoc building, even with caution tape and barricades noting the potentially unsafe marquee, has more character than many brand-new structures, he added.
“Saying it has good bones, I think, is an understatement,” Ferguson said. “It’s not just the structure and the bones of the theater, it’s actually its place in the community.”
Recent inspections have revealed roof leaks that led to mold inside the structure and plenty of bird droppings, so much so that Herrier noted wryly it’s a pigeon aviary that could stock a pigeon fertilizer store.
“It’s been like now forever,” Herrier said, adding it would be more problematic if the theater were a wooden structure.
However, the theater is a concrete masonry building.
“We spend a lot of money trying to create thick heavy walls,” Ferguson said. “This has it.”
“The acoustics are legendary,” Herrier added. “They used to do live recordings in there, and a big part of our plans are to have live recordings again.”
Project supporters figure they need to raise between $5 million and $6 million to do the renovations.
To help raise the funds needed to pull off the renovation, the group has hired Mary Harris, a Santa Ynez Valley resident with a background in tourism, event management and business and capital campaigns.
Harris previously led Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, where she was the founding executive director of the Tourism Business Improvement District. Prior to that, she was executive director of the Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association and event producer for the Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau.
“Lompoc has been waiting for this for a while and they now have the right people to do it,” Harris said. “They have the right president with Mark, who has the wonderful history and also has such an illustrious career. He together with Michael Ferguson and the rest of the group have put together a project that is going to resonate far beyond Lompoc.
“It will be the last of the historic theaters in Santa Barbara County to be renovated.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
