Perris council reviews four design options for downtown theater; directs staff to pursue funding study

Architects presented four concept designs Tuesday for the Perris Historic Theatre renovation and an adjacent arts park, and council members asked staff to study funding strategies and long‑term operational sustainability before committing to a design.

Presentation and design options Brian Wickersham of Oxe Architecture presented four concepts the consultant team developed after community outreach: - Option 1: Restore the existing building with minimal addition; preserve the blade sign; estimated 240–280 seats; cost estimated at roughly $7.5–10.3 million. - Option 2: Restoration with a modest addition and retractable seating for flexible use (theater or flat‑floor events); estimated 240–280 seats; cost roughly $10.8–14.7 million. - Option 3: Substantial expansion with a proper fly tower and professional back‑of‑house; estimated 320–340 seats; cost roughly $25–35 million. - Option 4: New building that preserves and restores the historic blade sign and marquee with an expanded program including a rooftop “founders room”; estimated 500–550 seats; cost roughly $35–48 million.

Why this matters: scale, cost and sustainability Council discussion weighed the city’s fiscal capacity, potential programming revenue and community priorities. Several councilmembers said they favored a flexible, multiuse design that could host community events, rentals and performances rather than a single‑use raked‑floor theater. Councilmembers expressed concerns about up‑front construction cost and the ongoing operating subsidy a large, fully professional theater could require if the city paid most capital and operating costs itself.

Council direction and next steps Council did not select a final design. Instead members asked staff to investigate funding and operating partnerships, pursue talks with potential philanthropic and regional partners, and return with a financial strategy and additional analysis. Several councilmembers indicated a preference for Option 2 (a modest expansion with retractable seating) as the most practical middle ground between cost and flexibility, but the council gave staff direction to explore funding options that might make larger options feasible with outside support.

Clarifying details - All four options retain or restore the theater’s historic blade sign, per community feedback. - Consultants estimated parking demand and concluded there are roughly 500 spaces within a 300‑foot walk of the site; the highest project parking demand in the concepts was about 160 spaces. - No formal budget appropriation or contract award for design or construction was made; council requested further study of funding sources and partnership models before moving forward.

Next steps: staff said they will begin outreach to potential funders and program partners and return to the council with a funding strategy and a recommended concept based on financing, operational sustainability and community priorities.