​​​​​​​​​San Francisco, CA (June 06, 2017) - The Margaret E. Haas Fund in partnership with the Presidio Trust today announced plans to rehabilitate the Presidio Theatre, located in the heart of the national park site on the Presidio’s Main Post. Vacant since 1995, the building will be rehabilitated into a high quality and affordable multipurpose space for live theatre, film, dance, music, lectures, educational programming and special events. The two-year rehabilitation will commence this summer, and is expected to be completed in mid-2019.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to create a modern and accessible performing space for artists in San Francisco and the Bay Area,” said Margaret “Peggy” Haas, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Margaret E. Haas Fund. “There is a dearth of high quality theatres for live performances – and many of the available spaces are not accessible to smaller performing arts organizations. The Presidio Theatre will offer a place for these groups to showcase their work to a wide range of audiences.”

Located near the historic Presidio Officers’ Club and the expansive green Main Parade Ground, the Presidio Theatre is among the last buildings on the Main Post to be rehabilitated. Originally built in 1939 as a movie theatre for the officers and enlisted men at the post, during World War Two, in 1942, both Jack Benny and Bob Hope brought full casts to perform and record their hugely popular radio shows in the theatre. The theatre was renovated by the Army in 1962, and the last movie was shown in 1994.

The rehabilitation will breathe new life into the historic building while adding great benefit for the Bay Area arts community. When completed, the state-of-the-art theatre will reflect its original 1939 Spanish Colonial Revival design, with approximately 650 seats, a functionally expanded stage, new accessible seating, and code-compliant restrooms. A new pavilion will be created in the open area to the west of the existing theatre that opens onto a new courtyard. The project architect is Hornberger + Worstell and the historic preservation consultant is Knapp Architects, both of San Francisco.

“We are pleased to move forward with this new partnership to bring back a beloved space,” said Francene Gonek, Chief of Business Operations for the Presidio Trust. “This mutually beneficial relationship serves the mandate of the Presidio Trust to be financially self-sufficient while, at the same time, creating new opportunities for public use and enjoyment.”

The Presidio Theatre will be operated and managed by a new non-profit organization set up expressly to support the theatre. It will be host to a mix of theatre, film, dance and music performances as well as lectures, educational programming and special events. Theatre operations will be funded through a mixture of facility rental fees, ticket sales and fundraising.

About the Presidio Trust

The Presidio Trust is an innovative federal agency created to save the Presidio and employ a partnership approach to transform it into a new kind of national park. Spanning 1,500 acres in a spectacular setting at the Golden Gate, the Presidio now operates without federal appropriations, is home to a community of residents and commercial tenants, and offers unique recreation, hospitality, and educational opportunities to people throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and the world. To learn more please visit www.presidio.gov.