Tampa Theatre closing Duncan Auditorium for 7-month $24.5M renovation ahead of 100th birthday

The Tampa Theatre gets ready for a makeover

Starting next week, the Tampa Theatre will begin a seven month renovation in preparation for its 100th birthday celebration. FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia takes us backstage for a look. 

TAMPA, Fla. - Following WineFest this Friday and Saturday (March 6–7), Tampa Theatre’s historic Duncan Auditorium will go dark for seven months to undergo extensive renovations. 

"Everybody looks good in candlelight!" joked John Bell, President and CEO of Tampa Theatre. "The building's underlying architecture is just spectacular, right? So, people come in, and it's a dimly lit, romantic courtyard. But when you shine the lights, it's like, Oh yeah, this needs work!"

What we know:

Starting March 10, the auditorium will close for the first phase of the $24.5 million Second Century Campaign, a project aimed at preserving the beloved cultural hub before the theater turns 100-years-old on October 15.

While a team of artisans will spend time restoring the decorative walls’ failing paint and plaster, some of the biggest changes will happen behind the scenes.

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"This building's 100 years old. It will be in October," Bell explained. "If you own a 100-year-old house, you know the plumbing, the electrical, the HVAC—all of that stuff has to be replaced."

Dig deeper:

In 1926, the Tampa Theatre was the city’s first public building to feature air conditioning. Remarkably, parts of that original A/C system are still chugging along today.

"So putting new highly efficient systems in is going to reduce our operating costs and overall make the experience much better for people," Bell added. 

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Other renovations will focus on upgrades to stage lighting, sound, and production systems.

Funding for this campaign came from donations and the City of Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). According to the theater, this project is also sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida, and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. 

What's next:

While the Duncan Auditorium will be closed for the next seven months, the community won't be entirely locked out.

The John T. Taylor Screening Room—a 43-seat microcinema adjoining the historic lobby—will remain open for films and events throughout the renovation process.