Capitol Theatre Begins Restoration

Flint City Council reportedly approved the transfer of a tax freeze on Capitol Theatre and restoration could begin in two months. The $21 million project is expected to be completed in 12-14 months, according to The Flint Journal.

Two nonprofits, Uptown Reinvestment Corp. and The Whiting with its governing body, the Flint Cultural Center Corp. are partnering on the endeavor. Uptown Reinvestment will handle redevelopment and restoration, and The Whiting will manage operations, programming and marketing.

The 90-year-old venue was “built in Italian Renaissance style.” The new design includes 1,600 seats and 25,000 square feet of adjoined retail and office space, the paper reported.

“We want to bring back all of the elements of the theater that made it what it was, at the same time we want to operate the theater in 2017 – we certainly want a modern sound system, lighting system, rigging system,” Whiting Executive Director Jarret Haynes told the Journal.

“We want to be respectful of what the original sound was and it also works well for live performances and that’s what we intend to do there.” Performances hosted by the theatre include AC/DC, Ray Charles and John Mellencamp.