Photograph courtesy of Misty Booth
Breaking Ground: Santa Clara County Supervisor Jim Beall (left), Campbell Mayor Jeanette Watson, Campbell City Council member Don Burr, Campbell City Manager Bernie Strojny, and Campbell City Council members Dan Furtado and Jane Kennedy break ground for the Heritage Theater renovation May 7.
Ground broken for Heritage Theatre's renovation
By Moryt Milo
With the sun shining and the Del Mar High School Band playing, Campbell High School graduates, citizens and civic leaders gathered on May 7 by the front steps of the Heritage Theatre to celebrate the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the theater's renovation.
The theater--formerly used as the Campbell High School auditorium--has stood idle and in disrepair since 1982. Two years prior, the Campbell Union High School District had permanently closed the high school.
For Mayor Jeanette Watson, a Campbell High School graduate, the renovation is a dream come true. She has helped lead a 20-year campaign to restore the Heritage Theatre, recognizing its importance as one of the community's endearing icons.
Watson, who has memories of playing piano by the auditorium's stage, will now watch the area she once sat in become an orchestra pit and the rest of the auditorium turn into a cultural arts theater to be shared and enjoyed by residents throughout the West Valley.
"From Almaden Valley to Saratoga to Willow Glen, there was a time when Campbell High School was the only high school in this agricultural valley," she said. "Once renovated, we expect everyone to take advantage of this wonderful place."
She asked audience members to raise their hands if they were Campbell High School graduates, and almost half the attendees did.
For alumni and longtime residents, the groundbreaking was nostalgic, and the people in the crowd were a bit teary-eyed as they walked through the auditorium one last time before its closing for renovation.
Graduate Don Chamberlin--whose father, Dean, was an English teacher at the high school and a four-time mayor of Campbell--said, "My father was on the city council and instrumental in helping save the school and buying it from the [Campbell Union High] School District. Being here today feels like a memorial to him."
Another graduate, Vic Nelson, said, "I hope this auditorium is used by many schools. It will be a great [testament] to our high school."
The auditorium and the main building were completed in 1938. They were designed by architect William H. Weeks, who also designed the De Anza and Sainte Claire hotels in downtown San Jose.
One of the building's many distinctive features is its decorative tiles, designed by Albert Solon, whose famous tile work can also be seen at Hearst Castle, down the Big Sur coast in San Simeon.
Because of Heritage Theatre's unique history and architecture, it has been placed on four historical registries.
The restoration architecture firm C. David Robinson, Architects of San Francisco, who designed the current plans, worked hard to keep the building faithful to its original design, said firm architect Mark Hulbert.
The design work, which began in 2001, restores the balcony and light fixtures and maintains the current window design, allowing the windows to open, as before.
However, the 1,151 hardwood folding seats will be replaced with 789 plush seats, and the floor will be raked more steeply to provide greater visibility. The lobby will also be enlarged to include a concession area, and backstage dressing rooms, a greenroom (a performers' lounge), an arcade for access and a large outdoor reception area will all be added. The building will also feature an elevator to transport visitors between the first and second floors.
Once the renovation is completed, theatergoers will be able to attend a variety of performances enhanced by a state-of-the-art sound system.
The auditorium will be rented to local schools, community groups and various organizations for live theater, dance, choral and opera performances, and a variety of other cultural and ethnic programs.
The project is estimated to cost $8.5 million. The city of Campbell and the Campbell Redevelopment Agency are contributing $5 million to the project, and The Friends of the Heritage Theatre, a local nonprofit organization started by Campbell citizens, has pledged to raise $3 million.
Watson was enthusiastic when she told the crowd that the nonprofit group had reached two-thirds of its funding goal.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, expressing their backing of the project, has also committed to the theater's renovation.
During the ceremony, District 4 County Supervisor Jim Beall handed Watson a check for $358,510.
"Since I don't like uneven numbers," Beall said. "My wife and I are adding an additional amount to make it an even $360,000."
The city also received a check from the California Parks and Recreation Department's Office of Historic Preservation for $250,000 on May 2.
"It was a complete surprise," Watson said. "We never expected that large an amount."
Leaving the building in its present worn-out state was actually an advantage, Community Development Director Sharon Fierro said. Ironically, not having the funds in earlier years to repair the building is what allowed the city to receive the grant money and try to restore the auditorium to its former condition.
"The state saw its historical value and the city's commitment to the structure," Fierro said. "They told us the building had integrity because we never remodeled the exterior or replaced the roof."
Restoring it to its former elegance also holds special meaning for the general contractor, Robert Bothman, who, along with his wife, Yvette, is a Campbell High School graduate. Bothman said, "The success of this project is not merely a duty but a personal commitment."
If the project stays on schedule, its completion is anticipated for September 2003, when the grand opening is planned.
The city believes the theater will become a major asset within the community as local residents and neighboring cities discover a brand-new cultural venue.
"After more than 20 years, a treasure is being restored and returned to the people of Campbell," said Campbell City Manager Bernie Strojny.
Campbell, California
