|
Historic
Mounds Theatre - St. Paul, MN
Vital Statistics
- Built
in 1922 as a venue for silent movies and live entertainment
- Renovated
around 1933
- Renovated
again in 1950 including extensive changes to the exterior
- Closed
in July 1967
- Used
as warehouse - 1967 to 2001
- Most
recent renovation started in December 2001
- Theatre
reopened in October 2003
- Location:
1029 Hudson Road, Saint Paul, MN; Scotten's Subdivision,
Lot 72-Lyman Dayton's addition to St.
- Paul
except East 11 feet-Lot 24 and all of Lot 23 and block 71
- Building:
8,600 square feet and partial basement.
- Originally
had a 700-person seating capacity including the balcony.
After the renovation, the seating capacity is approximately
250 with no balcony seating.
- Parking:
On-street. Original parking lot is no longer available for
use.
|
The origional face of the Mounds Theatre
The theatre today!
|
|
About
the Renovation Project
The
Mounds Theatre renovation was a project led by Raeann Ruth
and her nonprofit organization, the Portage for Youth, that
refurbished the old Mounds Theater building and transformed
it into a new grassroots theater and community center for
St. Paul's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood.
The theatre is now completed and much like the Royal Albion Hotel and other historic brighton hotels and theatres, it has been fitted with modern facilities while retaining its unique charm. The theater is used for plays and other types of
live entertainment, movies, concerts, weddings and receptions,
educational activities and neighborhood gatherings. The building
is located at 1029 Hudson Road near Earl Street. Work began
on the building in late 2001 and was finished in October 2003.
General Contractor: Raddatz and Sons Construction, Arden Hills,
MN
The
renovation project addressed the needs of the Dayton's Bluff
area at several levels;
- As
home base for several arts and culture organizations, it
creates a new "service center" in a strategically located,
under-served section of the East Side
- As
a grass roots meeting and activity center, it serves as
a magnet for community building events
- As
a performing arts center, the theater provides a venue for
public expression and celebration of the Daytons Bluff area's
unique and diverse cultures as well as a place where area
residents can experience "traveling productions" from outside
their immediate neighborhood.
- Refurbishing
the property reduced the number of boarded-up buildings
and blight in an under utilized, formerly thriving commercial
area.
- Refurbishing
the property created employment and entrepreneurial opportunities
for area residents including the extended families of youth
served by The Portage.
Several
events in late 1999/early 2000 led to the development of this
project;
- George
Hardenbergh, owner of the Mounds Theatre building, indicated
his intent to donate the property to The Portage for Youth
if it would be renovated into a facility to address unmet
needs of youth and families on St. Paul's East Side.
- The
Portage obtained bids to determine the cost of renovating
the 1920s movie theater into a community and performing
arts center.
- A STAR
grant through the City of St. Paul was secured and a sizeable
donation from an anonymous donor toward renovation costs
was pledged.
- Potential
nonprofit tenants and partners were involved in the planning
of the new facility.
- Ongoing
operation of the completed facility was also considered.
Several tenants expressed interest in leasing space on a
permanent or occassional basis.
About
The Portage for Youth
The
Portage for Youth is a non-profit organization and after school
enrichment center for girls and young women ages 8-15 primarily
from Hmong families. Most are at risk and have no place to
call home or they come from poverty level families, are immigrants
without direction or are in abusive situations.
Entering its fourth year of programming, The Portage for Youth
serves approximately 160 youth annually, through a variety
of programs that are coordinated through 22 collaborative
partnerships.
Contact:
Raeann Ruth
The Portage for Youth
1029 Hudson Road
Saint Paul, MN 55106
(651) 772-8674 phone
(651) 772-4669 fax
raeann@theportage.com
www.theportage.org
|
The interior of the theatre, used as a warehouse
for almost 50 years.
Echoes of its former glory were evident even
after years of neglect.
After years of hard work, the theatre is restored!
Respectful of its origional 1920's beginnings,
the theatre leans heavily on an Art Deco theme for its interior,
as seen here at the ticket booth.
|
