TCR Announces Plans for Return of Iowa Theater Building

Proposal will Preserve and Upgrade
Historic Building in Downtown C.R., with
Reopening Expected in February 2010

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (Feb. 26, 2009) – Eight months after floodwaters did millions of dollars in damage to the Iowa Theater Building, Theatre Cedar Rapids has unveiled plans for how and when the historic structure will return.

In addition to repairing flood damage, the project will give the Iowa a massive facelift, creating more space for its patrons, adding modern facilities and making the theatre lobby visible to traffic on 1st Ave. for the first time in the building’s 81-year history.

Theatre Cedar Rapids officials anticipate that work will begin this spring, and plan to be back in the Iowa Theater Building with the musical The Producers in February 2010.

“I think we’re going to come back as one of the strongest organizations in downtown,” said TCR Board President Pat Deignan of Bankers Trust. “Investment in this theatre is really an investment in the next 75 years of Cedar Rapids.”

Located at 102 Third St. SE in the heart of downtown, originally the Iowa Theater Building had served as a movie theatre. Last renovated in 1983, it is currently home to Theatre Cedar Rapids, the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre and the Cedar Rapids Harmony Hawks, as well as touring companies and corporate events. The 500-seat auditorium provides a key piece of the city’s venue portfolio.

However, the building’s age had already created difficulties before the flood. Many of the building’s plumbing and heating systems were still original, and were in poor condition even before they were decimated by the floodwaters. The theatre also struggled with small lobby and restroom space, which created serious traffic problems when shows had full houses. “‘The Next Act,’ Capital Campaign originally included a $2.5 million building improvement plan,” said Deignan. “Due to the flood, this has now become a $6 million building rebuild and improvement plan.”

According to Deignan, Theatre Cedar Rapids is eligible for FEMA and state funding for 100 percent of the costs of bringing the building back to pre-flood conditions as well as required code upgrades due to the flooding. From there, money raised by the theatre for its Capital Campaign will pay for additional improvements and renovations.

“Through the work of our key contractors – OPN Architects, Ryan Companies, Modern Piping and Paulsen Electric – we have submitted detailed costs to FEMA, and are in the process of being approved for funding,” Deignan said. “Through the combination of FEMA funding and our existing $3 million of pledges toward ‘The Next Act,’ Capital Campaign, we will be able to fund the entire clean-up and rebuild/renovation of the Iowa Theater Building.”

Among the elements of the new Iowa Theater Building design:

• More than 30 additional seats for audiences.
• A wider, more modern lobby that accommodates more patrons, shows photos and updates on TV monitors and restores original architecture from the building’s construction in 1928.
• A lounge that extends out to the windows along 1st Avenue.
• Larger and more accessible restrooms.
• Renovated dressing rooms, additional classroom space and better facilities for volunteers.
• Relocating new electrical and HVAC systems to higher levels as a protective measure against flooding.

In addition to the renovation and expansion, an original goal for TCR’s Capital Campaign was a $700,000 endowment to provide perpetual income to help with operations, as well as funding for children’s and adult educational programs as well as increased classes and workshops for teens and others.

“We are extremely pleased to announce that due to the generosity of the late Audrey Linge-Ovel and her family, the endowment has been seeded and has received pledges and cash of $100,000 from her estate and funeral memorials,” said Deignan. “In these difficult times, it is especially gratifying to be able to maintain one of the key goals of ‘The Next Act,’ campaign, which was to establish an endowment for the long-term future of Theatre Cedar Rapids.”

Another key component of the latest fundraising efforts is an additional $750,000 1-for-1 matching grant received from the Hall-Perrine Foundation for renovations.

“That’s a significant endorsement of TCR’s importance to our community,” said Tom Aller, President, Interstate Power and Light Company, Alliant Energy Company.

Officials are calling on the community to help fund this last piece of the Campaign, which they estimate has already raised 90 percent of the funds necessary for the entire project.

“If you have not already assisted with a gift toward ‘The Next Act,’ your gift now would assist in meeting this match and would go directly toward building rebuild/renovations,” Deignan said. “Meeting this match will ensure we have sufficient funds to complete all the planned upgrades to the building, and make it possible to consider moving more of our existing donations to further seed the endowment.”

The value of arts in the community was recently illustrated by the Americans for the Arts study, which found that more than $63 million is generated by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations like TCR each year in the Corridor. With more than $31 million in spending by local organizations, local nonprofit arts organizations support 1,986 full-time jobs; generate almost $34 million in household income to local residents; and deliver more than $6 million in local and state government revenue. TCR is an anchor in these results.

TCR brings more than 30,000 people downtown each year, playing a vital role in the rebirth and rediscovery of downtown Cedar Rapids. Improvements to the Iowa Theater Building could create a drastic increase in that number, said Casey Prince, TCR Managing Director.

“I can tell you there is more enthusiasm and excitement about the future of live theatre among the board, our volunteers, actors and patrons than we have sensed for several years,” Prince said. “This initiative will create perpetual support for our storied organization, improve an historic and unique downtown community structure, more efficiently use existing space for educational programming and ensure that this venue remains a source of local pride as well as a home for Theatre Cedar Rapids.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Each of the linked questions jumps to a point lower on this page.

• When will the Iowa Theater Building reopen?
• Could delays in construction affect that date?
• Why isn’t TCR waiting to see if there will be
  a new performing arts center in town?
• What can the public still do to help?
• What happens if we don’t manage to match
  the Hall-Perrine challenge grant?
• You haven’t reported an exact dollar amount from FEMA.
  Why is that? Are you sure their funding will come through?
• Are we taking FEMA money away from housing?
• Why are we moving forward with the project so quickly?
• Why rebuild in a location that flooded? After all,
  what if the flood happens again?

When will the Iowa Theater Building reopen?

We expect the building to re-open in February of 2010 with the musical The Producers.

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Could delays in construction affect that date?

Possible, but highly unlikely. We actually expect work to be done by the end of 2009, but we have given ourselves a cushion of several months to ensure that we will be ready for our opening.

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Why isn’t TCR waiting to see if there will be a new performing arts center in town?

Whether or not there is a center someday, the Iowa Theater Building is an important facility to restore. Even if it someday made sense to have a singular center, that may take a number of years, if not a decade. This plan has the Iowa open in early 2010, assuring the ongoing viability of TCR and a number of other organizations. It’s also a much more affordable solution. Our plan’s cost is in the single-digit millions. A new venue to meet our needs alone would cost an estimated $20-$25 million, and would take a long time to be ready.

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What can the public still do to help?

Between our Capital Campaign and our expected funding from FEMA, we believe we have already raised 90 percent of the money needed to fulfill all of the goals of “The Next Act.” However, we need help with the final portion. We’ve already received a significant boost with a Hall-Perrine $750,000 challenge grant. For every dollar donated to our campaign, Hall-Perrine will match it up to $750,000, meaning that we have the potential to raise an additional $1.5 million.

If someone cannot afford to donate but still wants to help, there are other ways to get involved. Come to a show. Volunteer with us onstage or behind the scenes. Volunteer hours make a big difference at Theatre Cedar Rapids.

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What happens if we don’t manage to match the Hall-Perrine challenge grant?

There are a few components of the project that could then be later phased in the basement and the 2nd floor, but they do not impede our ability to still open the theatre on time.

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You haven’t reported an exact dollar amount from FEMA. Why is that? Are you sure their funding will come through?

It isn’t a matter of “if.” We are eligible for FEMA and we have been approved for funding. Right now, the question is simply how much we will receive. FEMA grants are similar to pledges in that you don’t have a guarantee you’ll get the money you’ve applied for, but it’s very likely. In addition, we have been approved for two funding cycles from FEMA already.

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Are we taking FEMA money
away from housing?

No. Our funding is specifically through a nonprofit branch of FEMA, whose money can only go to nonprofit organizations.

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Why are we moving forward
with the project so quickly?

Getting our 30,000 patrons and hundreds of volunteers back downtown will have a significant impact on downtown recovery. The significant spending done by these patrons before and after shows at other downtown business will play a vital role in the city’s rebuilding. Donating to this campaign is more than just in investment in the theatre. It’s an investment in Cedar Rapids.

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Why rebuild in a location that flooded? After all, what if the flood happens again?

Another flood reaching the Iowa Theater Building is highly unlikely, but if it happens, damage will be minimal. By getting electrical and mechanical out of the subbasement and by not putting terra cotta bricks and plaster back in the basement, the majority of the flood damage incurred last summer cannot reoccur.

Unlike many buildings downtown, we are outside of the 500-year flood plain. Our flood damage costs are almost entirely because of three things: electrical was in the sub-basement, mechanical was in the sub-basement, and basement construction originally used a great deal of terra cotta brick and plaster finishes.

Electrical and mechanical will be elevated and lower level construction will be with cement block. First-floor offices, including servers, will be moved up at least one level. Assets such as costumes will be stored in a more accessible area adjacent to an elevator which was not the case last summer. Most importantly, lower-level plumbing drains will be a government-endorsed design that prevents sewage backup, which is why our building flooded in the first place. Water didn’t come through the doors; it came through the basement. Even if lightning struck twice and a catastrophic flood hit downtown before flood walls are installed, our damage would be minimal in comparison with last summer for these reasons.

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Timeline of the Iowa Theater Building

• June 7, 1928
  Opening night of the Iowa Theater Building. Originally a Mort Singer theater, the facility would later become part of the RKO circuit.
• December 1, 1965
  The Iowa is leased by the Dubinsky Brothers Theatres from O. F. Paulsen and receives a massive renovation, redecorated with royal blue, gold and olive green with blue seats. The theatre re-opens Christmas Day with the James Bond movie Thunderball, and continues as a downtown movie house for decades.
• 1983
  After showing its final movie, The Man From Snowy River, the Iowa is donated by the Linge family to Theatre Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Rapids Symphony. TCR buys the Symphony’s share and takes over the building, launching a renovation project to convert the theatre from a 1200-seat movie house into a 500-seat community theatre facility.
• Early 2008
  80 years after its opening, a Capital Campaign to renovate the theatre is announced in January. A launch event in March features performances from throughout
  TCR’s history at the Iowa.
• June 2008
  The Flood of 2008 devastates the downtown Cedar Rapids area, including the Iowa Theater Building, with floodwaters hitting the basement, stage and house and causing several million dollars of damage. The theatre is closed for repairs, and TCR temporarily moves offsite to the new location of TCR Lindale.
• February 2009
  The next phase of the Capital Campaign is announced at a press conference in the bare lobby of the Iowa, featuring a sneak peek at what the renovated building will look like and the announcement of how the project will be funded.
• February 2010
  The Iowa is projected to re-open with the Theatre Cedar Rapids production of The Producers.

Campaign Leadership

Endorsement Committee

• Tom Aller, Iowa Light & Power
• Dr. Dennis Boatman, PCI
• Nancy Evans, community leader
• Rick Fry, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll
• Bill Munsell, Retired, CMF&Z
• John Smith, CRST

Development

• Pat Deignan, Bankers Trust
• Marc Gullickson, Ryan Companies
• Tom Aller, Iowa Light & Power
• Jim Kern, Brucemore
• Rick Fry, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll
• Casey Prince, Theatre Cedar Rapids
• Randy Rings, TrueNorth Companies
• Richard Barker, Past TCR Executive Director

Consultant

• Ernhart & Associates

Coordinator

• Nina Brundell, Theatre Cedar Rapids

Co-Chairpersons

• Lijun Chadima, Thorland Company
• Pat Deignan, Bankers Trust
• Marc Gullickson, Ryan Companies
• Larry Helling, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust
• Lisa McGrath, Trustee
• Chuck Peters, Gazette Communications
• Diane Ramsey, Alliant Energy
• Paul Rhines, AAVIN Equity Advisors
• Randy Rings, TrueNorth Companies
• Charlie Rohde, Kings Material
• Gary Streit, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll