Renovation of downtown Bryan’s Queen Theatre is underway.
Downtown Bryan Association Chairman Ben Hardeman says temporary roof repairs were recently completed thanks to donated labor.
Next on the agenda is removing the Queen’s crown and marquee to be refurbished.
Fundraising continues to complete the building purchase. Hardeman says contributions of up to $1,000 are being accepted at the Downtown Bryan Association office.
Click below to hear from Ben Hardeman, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
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Read more below, courtesy of a news release from the Downtown Bryan Association chairman:
Temporary repairs have been completed to the roof of the Queen Theatre, according to Downtown Bryan Association Chair Ben Hardeman. “We needed to stop deterioration of the interior caused by rainwater which has been flowing into the building over the last 30 years. This is the first of many steps in our ongoing project to restore this important landmark in downtown Bryan,” stated Hardeman.. “We had actually seen continuing deterioration of the interior just in the period since the Association acquired the property 90 days ago and we are glad to finally be able to put a stop to it,” Hardeman added.
The next step in the ongoing project will be to remove the marquee, the neon QUEEN signage, and the unique crown landmark atop the building to begin the restoration of those components. While those features are off of the building, the art-deco facade will be repaired and restored to the appearance when it was constructed in 1939. “Our target date for completion of the facade restoration is June 2011 and that seems very attainable at this time, depending on the success of our fundraising efforts,” Hardeman stated.
The Downtown Bryan Association purchased the Queen Theatre in June in an effort to preserve the historic building. The ultimate objective for the project is to restore the building into a community entertainment and meeting venue, taking advantage of the projection capabilities of the facility.
The non-profit organization purchased the building for $185,000, raising the $75,000 down payment for the purchase in only six weeks through community contributions. “We hope to raise the balance of the purchase price as quickly as possible,” Hardeman said. “We want this to be a community project, and in order to further that concept, we will not accept any contributions greater than $1,000 during the fundraising for the purchase price. The more individuals who take part in this worthwhile effort, the more individuals in our community will be able to take pride in the finished Queen.”
“The total cost of the restoration of the building could reach an additional $850,000, depending in the final plans for the renovation,” Hardeman added. “The DBA plans to solicit larger grants and donations for the restoration aspects of the project.”