Expansion planned for Morristown theater
Mayo PAC’s proposal includes parking garage, 4-story addition, larger arts education program
The public got a sneak peek this month of what the Mayo Performing Arts Center says would be a “transformational” expansion of the 87-year-old venue in Morristown.
Renderings of the project, including a proposed four-story addition and parking garage, were unveiled during a presentation to the Morristown Zoning Board of Adjustment by MPAC CEO Allison Larena.
Larena highlighted the impact of the theater on the economic revival of Morristown over the past 30 years. “As we know, on any given night, there’s a show at the theater, the town is bustling and the restaurants are full,” she said.
But she reserved much of her passion for plans to grow the center’s arts education program, which she said was the main impetus for the expansion.
“Our Performing Arts School is literally bursting at the seams as enrollment continues to grow,” Larena said. “But as the popularity of our school continues to grow, unfortunately so do wait lists, and children are turned away due to lack of space.”
The proposed addition and parking deck behind the theater would expand the imprint of the MPAC complex. That includes a Performing Arts School currently “overflowing” with about 1,000 students enrolled, Larena said. Further expansion of the loading dock, dressing rooms and storage would allow bigger touring productions to book engagements at the 1,300-seat theater on South Street.
Despite leasing additional studio space across the street from the theater, “We have more than 100 students on waiting lists for classes,” Larena said.
The renderings show a four-story structure directly behind the back of the flywall of the theater. Much of that space would accommodate staff offices and two large rehearsal studios for students. A gallery entrance would separate it from a new two-story parking deck along King Street.
The 85-space garage would be used mostly by staff during the day and provide additional parking for patrons at night. It can also serve as a dropoffpickup point for students that will ease periodic traffic issues at the school’s Pine Street entrance, MPAC says.
The work would not alter the theater itself or its Corinthian-columned brick frontage along South Street. The expansion, in fact, would aim to match the same brick as the theater, project architect Jeff Rawding testified. Though it would allow the facility to book shows with bigger sets and production values, it wouldn’t result in any additional seating or performances, he said.
MPAC already owns the three properties behind the theater on King Street, where the expansion is proposed.
MPAC opened as a movie palace in 1937
The venue opened during the golden age of cinema in 1937 as a flagship palace for the Walter Reade movie theater chain. But the advent of television and multiplex movie theaters nudged what was then known as the Community Theatre into obsolescence and disrepair.
A brief revival as a concert hall in the late 1970s, when it was dubbed the Morris Stage, brought several headliners to town for sold-out concerts, including Tom Waits, Meatloaf, Cheap Trick and the Cars.
But financial trouble ended that venture by 1980.
Noted local real estate investor Lawrence Berger bought the theater in 1987 but was unable to find a profitable use for either the property or the building, which remained shuttered until a group of volunteers banded together to revive the performing arts stage in 1994.
Larena assumed leadership of the theater in 2002 and oversaw a a fouryear, $7 million capital campaign to complete lobby, restroom and facility expansions.
At the same time, redevelopment began to transform downtown Morristown, including the demolition of Epstein’s Department store on the Morristown Green in favor of a thriving new seven-story restaurant and residential complex.
Annually, MPAC now hosts more than 200 performances on its main stage and serves more than 200,000 patrons, Larena said Wednesday, “while driving more than $18 million in revenue back into our local economy.”
Next steps for proposed expansion
The meeting on April 3 was adjourned after three hours of testimony from Larena and Rawding. Board members questioned Rawding about details of the plan and zoning variances the theater is seeking for height, loading access and other issues.
One board member, Anthony Murphy, noted the “monolithic nature” of the parking deck and asked for alternative designs. Board Planner Philip Abrahamson questioned several details and raised concern about sun glare from a three-story glass-fronted portion of the back wall.
The board will resume hearing the proposal at its next meeting on April 17.
“This is a transformational project that will enable MPAC to evolve and serve our community today and for future generations,” Larena said.