In the News
Posted on October 14, 2019
The highly anticipated renovation project at the State Theatre in downtown Sioux Falls is making progress and moving toward an official reopening sometime next year.
Monday, KSFY News got an inside look at the final push that will make that reopening a reality.
Construction is moving along at the State Theatre. As many may remember the city of Sioux Falls and Philanthropist T. Denny Sanford gifted a combined total of five million dollars to complete the project earlier this year, but the theatre says to bring full renovations to a full completion they will need a bit more help.
Now playing at the State Theatre is a scaffolding installation. The theatre has construction underway to hopefully reveal a brand new theatre by the spring of next year.
"When you walk into the State Theatre we're going to be restoring it to how it looked in 1926 which not many people have seen since that's almost 100 years ago," State Theatre Executive Director, Allison Weiland.
The State Theatre was a 1926 movie palace that closed in 1991, but a countless number of people have been working hard to restore the building back to its original glory.
"We’ve just been really lucky these past couple of years to be able to start the construction in the auditorium," Weiland said.
It was a three-week process in itself just to put the scaffolding up. The front lobby is completed, but with generous gifts, the main floor of the auditorium will be completed.
"We’re a preservation project, we're a non-profit so that's huge! But we'll also be making upgrades to meet the needs of 2020 and beyond," Weiland said.
From the white walls to the gold trim, every inch of the auditorium will be remastered.
"So everything again is touched by hand. It’s decorative, it's painting, plasterwork, its woodwork,” Weiland said.
The State Theatre is striving to bring something new to downtown Sioux Falls with daily, affordable films with a different looking venue to match. Upon the opening day, the whole theatre won't be complete.
"The balcony at this point will not be open and operational so we're still looking for funds to open the balcony and the second floor, the mezzanine area, and the third floor as well," Weiland said.
You can give on their
Just click on the give button. The State Theatre still doesn't have an opening date, but they're looking at a spring 2020 debut.