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Park Theatre Trust reports $10.5 million raised, lays out renovation plans and timeline
Summary
Park Theatre Trust updated council on fundraising, preservation and renovation plans for the Park Theatre. The trust reported more than $10.5 million raised, HAZMAT abatement begun, and construction-permit submittal targeted for May 1 with an anticipated start as soon as September and reopening late 2026.
The Park Theatre Trust updated the Lafayette City Council on plans to restore and reopen the Park Theatre, reporting more than $10.5 million raised to date and outlining a renovated facility that would include two screening rooms, a community room and a rooftop terrace.
Tracy Farrell, chief financial officer for the Park Theatre Trust, said the group raised $1,803,200 in pledges last year, bringing 2024 total fundraising to $2,299,575 and that overall the campaign has raised more than $10.5 million; she said about $2 million of the project’s target remained to be raised. Farrell credited a broad mix of donors and in-kind supporters and said the trust hopes to complete renovations in time for a late-2026 reopening, the theater’s 80th anniversary year.
Architect Adam presented detailed plans to the council, describing a 22-foot extension at the back of the building that will allow the single-screen house to become two theaters (one large and one smaller 49-seat theater), plus a community room and rooftop bar. The design preserves historic details on the facade, restores the original ticket booth and marquee neon, incorporates new accessibility features and includes solar panels on the roof to reduce energy use. Farrell said HAZMAT abatement had already begun and that construction drawings were with fire, building and public health for preliminary review; the trust hoped to submit final plans to the county by May 1.
Cinema SF will operate the theater under the trust’s plan, Farrell said, and the group is pursuing pro-bono and donated materials and services to help control costs. The trust also described reuse of historic elements — seats, lighting and marquee glass — and said some artifacts would be preserved or made available to local institutions such as the Lafayette Historical Society.
Why it matters: The Park Theatre is a locally significant historic venue and trustees and council members told the city the reopened theatre is expected to be a cultural anchor for downtown Lafayette and draw audiences across the East Bay. City staff and council members praised the trust’s fundraising progress and community outreach.
Next steps: The trust said it expects permit approvals in the spring and hoped to begin construction in September; trustees asked the council and staff to keep coordinating on permitting, traffic and staging needs as work proceeds.
