top of page

HOLLYWOOD THEATER

New life for a neighborhood theater

"New History has been instrumental in making the Hollywood Theater project happen. They’ve worked with me and the City, neighborhood, state, National Park Service, and project team to phase a challenging historic rehab in an iconic theater building that’s been dark for 30 years. This project would not have happened without them."

- Andrew Volna, Apiary

Color photo of Hollywood Theater marque at night and with lights on

LOCATION

​

CONSTRUCTED

​

PROJECT DATE

​

PROJECT SCOPE

​

​

​

​

​

 



PROJECT SIZE

Minneapolis, MN

​

1934

​

2012-2021

​

Project planning and management, historic tax credit certification, historical research, National Register nomination, grant funding, construction oversight, city zoning and preservation approvals

​

10,000 sq. ft.

HT SK SQ 60.jpg

SNOW KREILICH

developer architect

phase 1 architect

HT Tanek SQ 60.jpg

TANEK

developer architect

phase 2 architect

Neighborhood movie theaters are challenging to reuse. After over 40 years of vacancy, the lights are back on at the Hollywood.

​

CHALLENGE

Redevelopment of the Hollywood Theater is a challenge similar to that which plagues many Main Streets and commercial nodes throughout the country: the neighborhood movie theater stands empty with the lights off and without a viable reuse. In the case of the Hollywood, the City of Minneapolis acquired the local landmark in 1989 to prevent demolition. Despite issuing multiple requests for proposals (RFPs) for redevelopment, no viable options for reuse were identified. The lack of potential funding sources, community support, and compatible uses presented too many risks for any private or public redevelopment. The building has been vacant and dark since 1987.

 

SUCCESS

New History worked with a private developer and the City of Minneapolis to implement a strategy for redevelopment by bringing financial resources, building community support, and developing design solutions. By adding the building to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), New History brought the opportunity for tax-advantaged rehabilitation and other significant grant sources. Likewise, earlier redevelopment proposals met with substantial resistance from the neighborhood and elected city officials. New History worked with the developer and the City to engage the neighborhood as well as city staff and elected officials so that support for the project could be fostered. Finally, the spatial configuration of a theater combined with the lack of windows makes an economically viable reuse nearly impossible. A phased project was developed so that the exterior could be stabilized and restored with an event center reuse for the main auditorium.

bottom of page