STAGE TAKES OWNERSHIP OF THE STATE THEATRE
OROVILLE >> A four-decade dream came to fruition Thursday afternoon when the State Theatre Arts Guild formally accepted ownership of the State Theatre from the city of Oroville.
On hand for the ceremony held in the entry of the theatre were STAGE board members, volunteers, city staff, city councilors, Mayor Chuck Reynolds and Jim Moll, STAGE president.
“This is an exciting day and a long time in the making. I can’t imagine this historic building being in better more responsible, caring and enthusiastic hands than STAGE,” said Reynolds. “Most of the hard work to make this happen was done before I got here but there were a lot
of people who put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears to make this possible. It was a brilliant team effort over a lot of years.”
Moll related some of the long and winding road that led to the ownership transfer the historic theater which originally opened to the public in 1928. Moll recalled that the Oroville Performing Arts Center Committee, the predecessor to STAGE, had started raising funds to build a performing arts center for the city on the levee near downtown 40 years ago.
That project changed direction in the mid 1980s when then theater owner United Artists decided to close the theater and offered to sell it to the city.
“The Performing Arts Committee turned the funds they’d raised over to the city for the purchase and agreed to help
with the stewardship of the theater. Over the years the city could have closed the theater as it was a drain on finances. They could easily have boarded it and it would have been eye sore but they were forward thinking and preserved this jewel in downtown,” said Moll.
In 2014 STAGE took over the theater’s day-to-day operations and in 2018 began negotiations with the city for its purchase.
Over the past few years, funds from the City Redevelopment Agency, the State Water Contractors, the Oroville Arts Commission and as well as significant local fundraising and more than 20,000 volunteer hours by STAGE have funneled $1.08 million into improvements at the venue.
Renovations have included an expanded solar array, roof repairs, an electronic replica of the original theater marquee as well as restoration of original interior artwork and art deco lighting fixtures. Work is also continuing on the restoration of an original Mighty Wurlitzer organ.
“This really is a momentous occasion,” said Moll as he accepted two checks from Reynolds, one for $2,400 for the rent deposits on the retail suites that are part of the theater building and a $375,000 grant check from the city’s Redevelopment Agency.
“This is fantastic,” said Mike Phulps, STAGE board member. “It’s been a challenge but we’ve had such a great partnership with the city the whole time. And now, here we are, at the finish line.”
One of the sale provisions includes a stipulation that should STAGE “fall off the face of the earth” for any reason and not be able to meet the responsibilities required to maintain and operate the historic landmark, the ownership returns the city, said Moll.
With many major projects completed, the new owners will now focus on making sure the theater is ready to reopen to the public once the pandemic safety guidelines allow.
“There is a lot of history in this old building and a lot of history yet to be written here. We are excited about the future,” said Eric Smith, counciler and Chamber of Commerce CEO.