Lobbying for the Palace Theatre

By Sara QuamLuverne citizens might have the chance to vote on whether the Palace Theatre is worth restoring — with the help of a special city sales tax.The Blue Mound Area Theatre Board last week unanimously approved a $5.25 million plan that will upgrade and restore the historic theater to its former glory. BMAT needs the city’s permission and help to make that happen, however. The city of Luverne owns the building, but BMAT is the non-profit group that manages it. BMAT hopes to make the Palace not only functional — with electrical, heating, cooling and plumbing upgrades — but a regional draw for movies, live theater and musical events and a banquet and meeting facility.BMAT president Ben Vander Kooi said, "We hope to have it busy 80 to 90 percent of the time."One step at a timeBMAT is asking the Luverne City Council to hire a lobbyist to help get legislative approval for a public vote. The council itself can’t put the issue on a ballot.The council may vote on hiring a lobbyist as early as next week.The local option sales tax, if approved, would be a .5 percent sales tax on goods that are taxable. Like other sales taxes in Minnesota, it wouldn’t apply to food, clothing or prescription drugs.Twenty cities in Minnesota have a similar city tax.Luverne would raise an estimated $138,000 per year in the additional tax that would go toward paying off a bond for the Palace.Vander Kooi estimated BMAT could raise about $1 million in fund-raising efforts of its own.Between fund-raising and the tax, Vander Kooi said some expansion and major work, such as the ballroom restoration, would probably still have to wait.Council member Esther Frakes said she anticipates the public questioning the wisdom of putting so much money into an old building, rather than building new.She said, "I realize we’re preserving an historic theater, but if we think it might come close to paying for itself, I think we’re dreaming."Vander Kooi said, "There aren’t equivalent facilities in southwest Minnesota," he said.Vander Kooi said the price tag of $5.25 million may be shocking, but he told the City Council that $2 million is for the heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical upgrades. "It was built in 1915, so you can imagine there have been a lot of changes in electrical and heating and cooling standards since then," Vander Kooi said.Some things haven’t changed, however. Vander Kooi said unique features of the Palace make it an architectural and historical treasure that should be preserved. For example, plans are to restore the upstairs ballroom for meetings or receptions. There will be a kitchen in the basement and an elevator leading to a top-floor serving kitchen, too. The three round windows in the ballroom are now covered with a false ceiling. Plans call for uncovering those and the original stenciling that has been preserved since 1915.Vander Kooi said historical experts call the windows and stenciling incredibly rare features."It’s a significant historic structure and frankly, I can’t picture Main Street without it," Vander Kooi said.Council member Pat Baustian said the Palace could be a draw to downtown. Revitalizing downtown and keeping it a busy place has been a goal outlined by the city.He said, "People see it from Highway 75 — downtown is up and going when the Palace lights are on."Vander Kooi said, "We’ve got to come back to the people and if they don’t support it, it’s done. We might be able to squeeze a few more years out of the Palace, but not much has been done to it in 90 years."The Palace plans have been about three years in the makingWell-known Luverne construction manager Virgil Christensen worked for about six months analyzing the project and helped come up with the cost figures. The $5.25 million includes all contingency, architectural, engineering and legal fees, and inflation costs through 2006.Here is a rundown of changes that could be made if voters approve a sales tax to help fund the project, which includes expansion and renovation into the neighboring building occupied by Computer Tutors:
Add an elevator for handicapped accessibility and reconstruct an exit stair in the theater.
Provide improved lobby, toilet, ticketing and other common functions, along with possible commercial spaces, such as a restaurant or cafe, on the first floor of the buildings.
Prove adequate and accessible restrooms for all building functions.
Provide a building addition behind the commercial building and east of the stage to accommodate theater functions. The addition would be at all levels and would include a loading dock, backstage areas, green room, restrooms, etc.
Provide new rigging and lighting for the stage.
Make the projection booth and a portion of the balcony accessible.
Provide a secondary means of egress and stage access from the lower level dressing room area through the addition of a stair at the southwest corner for the building.
Convert the second floor of the theater back to a ballroom.
Provide a multi-purpose room on the second floor of the commercial building and immediately adjacent to the ballroom.
Restore the exterior of the buildings.