Fox Theater Rehabilitation
to Restore Former Glory

By Al Petrillo

The roof has been redone, the marquee restored and the chandeliers refurbished, but that's only the beginning of the rehabilitation work that is planned for the Fox Theater at 17 W. Congress St. in Tucson.

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Believed to be the only art deco theater in the Southwestern United States, the Fox Theater, built in 1930, also has the distinction of being a National Historic Landmark, which makes it all the more difficult to rehabilitate.

"The painted art deco ceiling, the plaster friezes in the auditorium and the lobby, and the distinctive plaster work all contribute to the uniqueness of the theater," said Gary Jones, chief estimator for Concord Cos. of Tucson, the construction manager at-risk and general contractor for the project. "Those elements make the job more difficult, and yet, much more interesting. In fact, when we're finished, we'll even have replicated the original 'comma-swoop' pattern carpeting in the auditorium."

The Fox Theater has lay unused since it shuttered its doors after screening its last film in 1974.

"Meeting the modern code without destroying any of the historic fabric of the theater is more tricky because of the Fox's National Historic Landmark status," said Herb Stratford, executive director of the Fox Tucson Theater Foundation, which owns the building. "The Fox is only the ninth theater in the country and the third building in Pima County to be designated a National Historic Landmark."

Because of that designation, all work must first receive approval from federal, state and city preservation agencies.

The total project value is between $11 million and $12 million, with $1 million earmarked for architectural and engineering fees and the balance for construction and rehabilitation.

Bruce T. Erickson, president of Erickson Leader Associates of Tucson, the project architects, said his firm's task was to make sure the 1930s building conforms with today's codes, without destroying the historical elements that make the building a landmark.

"The rehabilitated Fox will be more than a movie theater because it's expected to host live stage shows, as well as corporate and community events," he added. "We had to design the infrastructure for all these functions, which expanded the project scope significantly."

The city of Tucson allowed the Fox to be upgraded using the New Jersey Rehabilitation Code, which had been adopted by the city.

"That code gives great latitude in things like stair rise and run, and handrail height," Erickson said. "It allows us to recreate the historical aspect of the theater more faithfully, while still bringing the structure into code compliance. It allows much of what exists in a historic structure to be restored to its original condition

Steve Mitchell, the project manager for Concord Cos. of Tucson, said that by working with the HVAC and plumbing subcontractor, Concord produced six-figure cost savings on mechanical items.

"We were able to reduce the 225-ton chiller to a 180-ton version," he said.

"The house's concrete floor has return air tunnels through the seats, but it would have been difficult to use them. So we eliminated two big ducts in the floor, modified the return system and will reuse the 1931-built return air plenum."

The Fox Theater was the first refrigerated air-conditioned building in Arizona, Mitchell said. "This was a site-built AC system and we had to cut an 8- by 12-ft. hole in the concrete floor to get the original air compressors and chiller barrels out of a tomb-like basement mechanical room," he added. "By using some of the existing ducting, including a huge outside brick duct that exits at the roof, we were able to save a considerable amount of money."

Mitchell said workers also reduced the heating system from a four-pipe to a two-pipe system, eliminated the boiler and reheat loop and went to electric resistance flash heating.

John Grenier, president of Grenier Structural Engineering of Tucson, said the biggest surprise he found at the Fox was in the attic.

"We found structural steel bowstring trusses with a formed steel deck roof on it," he added. "The Fox has a Cadillac roof for the age of the building."

Grenier said some of the trusses were strengthened where interior catwalks and light trusses were to be installed.

"The ceiling of the theater is what is sacred," he said. "This is a heavy cement plaster art deco ceiling that has a major historical significance. It has to stay a part of the theater."

Grenier said support structures were being added to the ceiling, especially because sprinkler heads would be installed.

"Jeff Greene of EverGreene Painting Studios in New York City was brought in to lend his expertise on how to refurbish the ceiling," Grenier said. "Jeff runs one of only three firms in the country that does this kind of decorative painting restoration."

The walls of the theater are covered by an unusual acoustic material called Acoustone. The product was only made for a few years in the early 1930s.

The Acoustone panels are composed of plaster, gypsum, baking soda and water.

Greene researched the original patent on Acoustone and has made replacement panels to refurbish any damaged ones.

"We have to remove some of the Acoustone in order to stabilize the brick infill panels inside the cast-in-place concrete frame of the building," Grenier said.

"We computer modeled the structure and found we had to stabilize for lateral loads in a few areas."

Expected completion date for the rehabilitation is December, although Stratford said he hopes to have the ticket booth and the front of the building restored in time to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Fox in April.