NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE

Date: May 14, 2008

Contacts: Jamee Lynn Smith

619-533-7120 or

Tiffany Metti

619-533-7136

www.ccdc.com

BALBOA THEATRE RESTORATION RECOGNIZED WITH MULTIPLE AWARDS

SAN DIEGO—The Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) is being honored with a 2008 People in Preservation, “A Star is Reborn” Award, on behalf of Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO), as well as a Historic Preservation Award for Architectural Restoration from the City of San Diego Historic Resources Board for the historic restoration of the Balboa Theatre. The vaudeville-era 1,300-seat live performance theater in the heart of downtown San Diego reopened in January and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The project is being recognized for the great attention to detail in restoration of artwork, the color scheme, the 600 light vertical marquee sign and more. Both award ceremonies will be held in May, which is National Preservation Month. The Historic Preservation Award Ceremony is on May 22 and the SOHO Awards Ceremony is on May 30.

“CCDC is honored to accept these two prestigious awards. Like the theater, Downtown San Diego has undergone a great transformation. Preservation of this magnificent building is extremely important for the future character of the city,” said CCDC President Nancy Graham. “The Balboa Theatre is a testament to San Diego’s thriving arts and cultural community and CCDC is proud to have restored this jewel, in all its glory, for everyone to enjoy.”

After numerous unsuccessful efforts over the past 18 years to renovate and reopen the Balboa Theatre, CCDC completed the $26.5 million restoration project in January 2008. The restoration was completed in collaboration with the award-winning architectural firm of Westlake Reed Leskosky of Phoenix, Arizona. Throughout the process, crucial attention was given to preserving and restoring the theater to its original state. Experts carefully peeled away decades of dirt, paint, plaster and other materials covering original colors, while others used digital technology to visualize and recreate original murals and art work. This attention to detail was maintained throughout the project.

History

Named for the Spanish explorer Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean in 1513, the Balboa Theatre thrived from its opening in 1924 through 1930.  In 1930, it was renamed El Teatro Balboa which showed Spanish-language cinema and stage shows until the early 1940s, when the U.S. Navy appropriated the office space to house sailors during WWII. It was nearly demolished in 1959 but was turned into a movie venue. In 1985 CCDC acquired the property and in 1996, the Balboa Theatre Foundation, a nonprofit committed to preserving the theatre and local arts and culture, successfully placed it on the National Register of Historic Places.

Design

The theater originally was built for $800,000 by the Balboa Building Company and William Wheeler served as the design architect. The theatre's interior reflects 1920s design sensibilities, blending Mediterranean Classicism with Moorish and Spanish Revival styles. While maintaining historic standards, the revitalization reinforced the building’s seismic stability and added new state-of-the-art mechanical, electrical, and performance systems such as rigging, lighting, and audiovisual technology, including full-variable acoustics.  The lobby, box office, loading area, and public amenities have been improved and expanded.  The audience chamber and balcony have been revitalized with new seating and restored decorative ceiling and walls. Enhancements also included the recreation of the blade sign and marquee, the addition of an orchestra pit lift and orchestra side shell panels.

Arts and Culture

Balboa Theatre is one of many historical sites downtown and part of a greater network of arts and cultural outlets including The San Diego Civic Theatre, The Lyceum Theatre, The Museum of Contemporary Art and more. The Centre City Historic Resources Map showcases downtown’s historic properties and is now available at www.ccdc.comin the “Planning Section” along with The Downtown Public Art Guide created in collaboration with the city and the Downtown San Diego Partnership.

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CCDC is a public, nonprofit corporation created by the City of San Diego in 1975 to facilitate the redevelopment of downtown’s 1,500 acres.