The Lompoc Theatre Project was formed in 2012, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to taking an old dilapidated 1927 movie theatre and transforming it into a working cultural and performing arts center.
As soon as we took ownership of the theater, we hired professionals to test and assess the condition of the building and determine what needs to be done and in what order. Our first priority was to complete testing for mold, asbestos and other potentially hazardous substances. The news was not good.
Unfortunately, the group that came before, and owned the building for nearly a decade, let water and pigeons intrude and set back the project by over a million dollars, eventually declaring bankruptcy and dissolving the entire organization. We had a steep uphill climb ahead of us.
Property Taxes: We negotiated with county officials and paid off years of delinquent property taxes owed. The theater has finally been removed from the county’s list of properties in default. We now own the property 100%.
Site Cleanup: A group of tireless volunteers cleaned up and removed decades of debris and junk from the theatre and the upstairs offices. Squatters and break-ins were frequent for many years. The entire 35,000 square foot property was cleaned up, cleaned out and secured.
General Contractor Hired: An experienced Lompoc general contractor to restore the theater as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
Marquee Stabilized: The marquee, which had been declared unsafe by Caltrans, was repaired and won the authorization to remove the warning signs that had blocked the sidewalk in front of the theater for three years.
Historical Status Preserved: We contacted lawyers and historical preservationists
to confirm our landmark eligibility. We began the process of identifying the tax credits that will eventually amount to $2 million. We hired a firm to forensically go through the auditorium and preserved all items (including paint and plaster samples) that were identified as historically important. Our efforts will eventually lead to the declaration of the Lompoc Theatre as a landmark on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The Theatre Project received a large donation from actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall.
Demolition completed: The complete hazardous material abatement and gutting of the lobby and auditorium was completed with professionals and volunteers.
Pigeons Evicted: The longtime residents of the theater (a massive flock of pigeons)
were humanely evicted from their lodgings, generously leaving behind a 5- inch toxic layer of excrement. All re-entry points in the roof were closed, preventing their return. Professionals removed the hazardous waste and certified the building.
Asbestos Abatement: All asbestos in the main theater and lobby was professionally removed and disposed. The theater is asbestos free.
Roof wrapped: In our continuing commitment to “go local” as much as possible,
Lompoc’s McIntosh roofing company was contracted to cover the theater’s
leaking roof with an industrial strength waterproof tarp to prevent any further damage from weather.
Seat Removal: All seats were removed, row end caps preserved, and sent to the Irwin seating company, an internationally renowned manufacturer of theatrical seating, to create new seats that historically match the damaged and unusable current seats that date back to the renovation of the theater in 1954.
Stage and Fly System: All damaged curtains, non-historical lighting instruments and debris were removed and disposed of. The movie screen, light bars and 1927 rope and rigging system was preserved.
Ceiling Removal: Rain damage has made the current ceiling untenable. All plaster and lathe has been completely removed, making the structural rehabilitation of the steel roof supports faster and easier.
Mold Abatement: All areas were professionally tested negative for mold.
Retail spaces completely renovated and rented. Three of four retail spaces have been rented since 2019, ensuring monthly income for the project.
This new community arts center will show movies, host music concerts of all kinds, exhibit dance shows, perform live theater, host lectures, film festivals, and every other kind of arts and entertainment you can think of to enlighten, educate and entertain audiences.
Our residents need a cultural and event center that welcomes their meetings, award
presentations, weddings, birthdays, and memorials. Our local arts groups and high school students need a permanent state-of-the-art home to rehearse and perform. Our children need arts education that is no longer offered in our schools. Our economy needs the vital new businesses that will be generated by the renovation of the Lompoc Theater. The Lompoc Theatre will provide all these opportunities and give Lompoc a true heart of the arts.
Getting to opening day will not be easy. It will be expensive. But the benefits will be a rejuvenation of the entire city, radiating out in rings from the state of the art, historically preserved theatre center. Dollar-by-dollar, step-by-step, hurdle-by-hurdle, we are turning our community’s longstanding dream into reality.
