What is the Presidio Theatre Project?
The Margaret E. Haas Fund, in partnership with the Presidio Trust, is working to rehabilitate the Presidio Theatre (Building 99). Vacant since 1995, it will be repurposed as a high quality and affordable multipurpose space for live theatre, film, dance, music, lectures, educational programs and special events.
What are the features of the Presidio Theatre?
The state-of-the-art theatre will reflect its original 1939 Spanish Colonial Revival exterior design, with approximately 650 seats, a functionally expanded stage, new accessible seating, and code-compliant restrooms. Two new pavilions will be created in the open area to the west of the existing theatre buildings that open onto a new courtyard.
Who will run the Presidio Theatre?
The Presidio Theatre will be run by Presidio Theatre, a new nonprofit organization set up expressly to support the Presidio Theatre operations and management.
What will be offered at the theatre?
The new Presidio Theatre will host a mix of theatre, film, dance, and music performances, along with lectures, educational programs and special events. The venue will also be available for rental by organizations and businesses in the Presidio and beyond for meetings and celebrations.
How will the project be funded?
Full funding for the rehabilitation and re-opening of the Theatre is being provided by the Margaret E. Haas Fund, a Bay Area nonprofit entity. Ongoing operations will be managed by Presidio Theatre, a new nonprofit entity that will fund operations through a combination of facility rental fees, ticket sales and fundraising.
What is the construction timeline?
Summer 2017 – Summer 2019
Will there be an impact on residents concerning parking and traffic?
This project fits in with the Main Post’s overall plan to accommodate parking and traffic. The Main Post Update Plan completed by the Presidio Trust included extensive analysis of future demand for parking in the Main Post—the parking demand anticipated for this project is well within the amount of available parking in the Main Post.
What is the purpose of the project?
There is an unmet need for affordable, mid-size performing arts spaces in San Francisco and the Bay Area. The vision for the Presidio Theatre is to create a place for affordable performance, cultural activities, and educational programs – a place for groups to share their programming with audiences from San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area.
Why here in the Presidio?
This project supports the Trust’s vision for the Presidio’s Main Post. The Main Post is the cultural heart of the park and offers diverse destinations, amenities, and events to welcome visitors. The Presidio Theatre is one of the last buildings on the Main Post to be rehabilitated. When complete it will complement the range of activities already available and will bring a beloved historic structure back into public use.
Will it meet standards of historic preservation?
The project is overseen by experienced architects and preservation consultants to ensure that the renovation meets the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The project has been reviewed by the National Park Service and the California Office of Historic Preservation to ensure conformance with applicable Standards under the federal tax historic preservation credit program; approvals are required at both the design phase and after construction is complete.
FAST FACTS
- Originally constructed 1939; renovated by the Army in 1962
- Final movie screening 1994
- Project cost Approximately $30 million +
- Timing Approximately 24 months from the signing of the lease
- Square Footage: Existing: 10,573 sq.ft.; Proposed: 10,896 sq. ft. new construction (mostly underneath the current building)
- Seating Approximately 650 seats
- New Construction Two pavilions to the west of the theatre; basement spaces for restrooms, dressing rooms, rehearsal room; technical support and storage; a landscaped courtyard
Presidio Theatre Project Team
Architect
HORNBERGER + WORSTELL
San Francisco
Project Manager
PACIFIC UNION DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
San Francisco
Construction Manager
PLANT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
San Francisco
Structural Engineers
FORELL/ELSESSER ENGINEERS, INC.
San Francisco
MEP Consultant
GUTTMANN & BLAEVOET CONSULTING ENGINEERS
San Francisco
Theatre Design Consultant
AUERBACH POLLOCK FRIEDLANDER/APF
San Francisco
Historic Preservation Consultant
KNAPP ARCHITECTS
San Francisco
Civil Engineer
SHERWOOD DESIGN ENGINEERS
San Francisco
Landscape Architect
RHAA
Mill Valley
Electrical Engineer
O’MAHONY & MYER/OMM
San Rafael
Acoustics Consulting
PAOLETTI CONSULTING
San Mateo
Geotechnical Consultant
LANGAN, TREADWELL & ROLLO
San Francisco
Lighting Designer
AUERBACH GLASOW FRENCH
San Francisco