Silco Theater receives challenge grant

SILVER CITY >> The Silver City MainStreet Project has received an end-of-the-year donation challenge grant of a match of up to $3,000 for donations received before the end of the year. The challenge match grant was made by an anonymous donor. MainStreet Project still needs $100,000 to complete work on the Silco Theater.

Silver City MainStreet is trying to raise $500,000 to fully restore and renovate the historical theater which dates back to 1923. Once the renovation work is complete, MainStreet plans to lease out the building to a movie theater operator and they are expecting that first-run movies will likely be shown at the downtown movie house. The theater will seat 175 people when the renovation work is done.

So far, the exterior facade renovations have been completed.

The external renovations include the installation of new parapet flashing. Contractors restored the plaster detail on the exterior of the second floor. Workers also renovated and painted the second floor windows.

On the first-floor faade, workers reconstructed the transom windows, replaced the tile work below the windows and applied stucco and paint.

Workers also reconfigured the existing theater exterior entry vestibule to more closely match the original historic entry vestibule plan. Construction included removing some existing vestibule walls and replacing them with a new entry and side walls.

Workers have also completed work on the rear of the building. Construction on the rear side of the building includes a new exterior concrete staircase to provide access. Part of that work involved removing an existing concrete ramp. Workers also installed new downspouts at the rear of the building. Additional construction work at the west side of the building involved closing a door opening with brick that was not part of the original theater design.

Work still needed to be done:

New electrical and heat and air conditioning mechanical services.

A new partition layout to provide spaces for one new restroom, janitor closet, storage, and interior theater vestibule.

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Silco Theater receives challenge grant