Northeast Minneapolis’ Newly Renovated Art Deco-Era Hollywood Theater is (Finally) Ready for its Close-up
MINNEAPOLIS, and ST. PAUL, Minn. (PRWEB) July 24, 2023 -- After a meticulous 10-year renovation, Northeast Minneapolis’ iconic Hollywood Theater is, once again, open for business, as a reimagined events and celebrations space. Self-described “local sucker” Andrew Volna purchased the building from the city of Minneapolis for $1 in 2015, a price he now admits was too much as the true-to-era renovation cost 50x more than the building’s original construction cost.
“Renovating an historic building is not for the faint of heart,” says Andrew Volna, owner of Hollywood Theater. “Everyone knew this would be a challenging project and that’s why it sat empty for more than 30 years.”
The theater floor was leveled and large windows on the south and north side of the building were added, flooding the space with natural light. The theater manager’s office was converted into an ADA bathroom and the original usher’s room under the balcony was turned into a food prep area. The custom-designed historic light fixtures throughout the theater were restored as well as the towering vertical columns flanking the screen and four mezzanines were added to the theater’s balcony area. The theater’s original plaster ceiling, which collapsed in the 1990s, was not replaced and the massive structural steel trusses are visible. The Hollywood’s new lobby is spectacular, featuring restored plaster walls, ceiling, crown molding, terrazzo flooring, custom movie poster frames, decorative metalwork and fountain.
The Art Deco movie theater, which opened in 1936, closed in 1987 and was vacant and in a state of advanced decay when Volna started renovation in 2015. He worked closely with New History, a Minneapolis-based consultancy specializing in historic building renovation, to navigate the approval process through the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the National Park Service.
The building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, was considered notable for its Streamline Moderne design by prominent theater architects Liebenberg & Kaplan and its association with the growth of locally-owned, streetcar-accessible neighborhood cinemas during the Great Depression. In the case of the Hollywood, the interior and exterior were both designated historic. This is unusual as most buildings on the National Register are designated for one or the other. What this meant for Volna’s renovation is that every detail—inside and out—had to be approved by SHPO, a torturously slow process.
The VHS tape industry delivered the death blow to the theater in 1987 and, as the headwinds facing single screen, neighborhood movie theaters are even more intense today, it was clear to Volna that operating the building as a theater was not a viable option.
“I never intended to get into the events industry,” Volna said, “but it seemed like such an obvious use for the building. It will still be a place where large groups of people gather to enjoy themselves, only now for wedding receptions, private parties, and corporate events.”
Volna is planning an official opening celebration later this summer.
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For before/after photos or to schedule an interview with Andrew, contact:
Laurel Lindahl | (612) 328-0096 | mailto:[email protected] [[email protected] __title__ null]
To rent the Hollywood for an upcoming event, contact:
Jessica Barrett | 612-701-2681 | mailto:[email protected] [[email protected] __title__ null]
Laurel Lindahl, Apiary LLC, 1 6123280096, [email protected]
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