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BACKGROUND

The Capitol Theatre is one of Yakima’s proudest accomplishments. Built in 1920, the theatre has served as a cultural icon, entertaining hundreds of thousands of patrons with a diversity of programming ranging from touring Broadway musicals to community-based events including our own Yakima Symphony Orchestra and Yakima Town Hall Series.

As beautiful and historic as The Capitol Theatre is, each passing year shows the current infrastructure to be less than adequate for today’s performances. The electronic requirements for computerized lighting, staging and sound; the need for prop and equipment storage; even the parking facilities for production trucks, is insufficient to host most of the larger performances that are affordable but cannot fit in the facility.

Critical Issues

The size of touring attractions are outstripping the Capitol’s ability to mount the shows.
No Matter What The Cost

The Theatre is 33-Years Old
Carpeting, Curtains & Paint
Stage Equipment is Out-of-Date & Worn Out
Orchestra Pit and Seating are 100 years old
(If they break, they can’t be fixed)

Shows Don’t Fit on Stage
Sets for Broadway shows are left outside
Not enough Space
(Production, Dressing Rooms, Rehearsal Space)

Audience & Donor Base

Programming
Costs are Rising
Limited Program Opportunities
Ticket Sales are Flat

Support Base
Audience Profile is Narrow and Aging
Individual Contributions are Stagnant

We recognize that the theatre is a significant community asset and a broader social responsibility has always been the heart and soul of the Capitol Theatre.  With the closing of the Yakima Mall in 2002, Yakima experienced a tremendous exodus, as business after business fled the downtown area in search of greener pastures.  In response, the Capitol Theatre Board of Trustees (CTC) began to move forward in addressing both the facility’s infrastructure shortcomings as well as how the theatre’s presence might be used as an asset to downtown rejuvenation. With a $500,000 grant from local benefactor, Helen Jewett, the highly regarded Traho Design firm was engaged and the vision for a Capitol Theatre Campus was created.  This plan is grounded in the belief that carefully designed, purposeful improvements to the Capitol Theatre will serve to increase activities and significantly contribute to growth in the downtown area.

PHASE 1 EXPANSION

Production Center, Black Box & Terrace

Basement Floor (9,500 sq ft)
3,456 sq ft of storage space plus offices
Electrical, mechanical & data service for the whole building
Elevator to all three floors (6’X9’ — big enough for a concert grand piano)
Direct access to the Capitol Theatre facility

First Floor Production Center
Open space the size of the stage for operations and staging
Two truck loading docks
Three portals directly to the stage, increasing full production capability
Double the number of dressing rooms - star, principle & chorus, fitting 50
Laundry room (3 washers and dryers)
Hallways large enough to accommodate touring boxes
Green room (actors’ lounge)
Secured “Stage Door” entry
Public entry vestibule for the patrons going to the Black Box

Second Floor Black Box Theatre
Varied events, lower ticket prices, casual environment
Flexible seating (up to 499)
Separate lobby & day of show box office
Restrooms, Concessions & Storage
Elevator to all three floors
Separate lighting and sound booth with direct access to the Capitol Theatre facility

Second Floor Terrace
Intimate environment sheltered from the street
2,800 sq ft patio off of the east wall of the Black Box
Mediterranean/Colonial design
Capacity to seat 150 for dinners or luncheons
Framed by a retractable glass wall opening to the Black Box, creating a single space
Ambience will include light, fire and water

COST (Link to PDF)

PROGRESS

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