Renovations at the Liberty Theatre
Posted/updated on: July 4, 2010 at 4:19 am
TYLER — Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass and the East Texas Symphony Orchestra Association hosted a “marquee lighting ceremony” Friday to mark the beginning of the renovations of the former Liberty Theatre in the heart of downtown. The Tyler 21 Master Plan called for Downtown Tyler to become an arts and cultural district as a strategy to spur private reinvestment and revitalization. To advance this goal, the City of Tyler purchased the former Liberty Theatre in 2008 and entered into a memorandum of understanding with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra Association (ETSOA). The city and ETSOA agreed to lead an effort to raise the funds needed to renovate the theatre into a performing arts hall that they hope will be a destination point for arts and culture in East Texas.
In January 2009, the Liberty capital campaign was launched with a commitment of $500,000 from the Genecov Group followed by a $100,000 pledge by KSA/Wisenbaker, Fix and Associates in July and a $250,000 donation by Brandon Steele of Ryno Corporation in September. The Women’s Symphony League of Tyler pledged $10,000, and additional large pledges and donations have been made totaling $100,000. Also, the Give Me Liberty Seat Sale has raised $68,000 that has been added to the campaign to fund the rebirth of the theatre into a performing arts hall. The seat sale provides the opportunity for citizens to sponsor a seat with a pledge of as little as $1,000.
The architect for the renovation project is Mike Butler, AIA, of Butler Architectural Group in Tyler. Renderings of the project have been drafted and depict an adaptive reuse that officials say retains the flavor of much of the building’s façade. The theatre’s interior will seat 300. Management and ownership of the theater will be transferred to the ETSOA upon completion of all renovations, with the City maintaining some oversight related to funding for tourism related activities. It is anticipated that the construction contract for the project will be awarded in the next month.
