Full Saenger renovations to begin in January

Full Saenger renovations to begin in January

by CityBusiness staff reports

December 29th, 2011 · No Comments  · Blog

Mayor Mitch Landrieu held a ceremony today with project partners to mark the closing of the deal to move restoration plans forward for the Saenger Theatre on Canal Street.

The city and investment partners will spend $51 million to bring the performing arts facility that has been closed since Hurricane Katrina back to life. A combination of state and federal tax credits and private investment will pay for the work. With the financing now in place, construction will be begin in earnest in January, according to the mayor’s office.

The project will include restoration of the theater’s original decorative elements and its  trademark constellation pattern on the ceiling, as well as the preservation of the Robert Morton Wonder Organ housed inside. The construction will also significantly expand the stage to allow for larger productions.

Today’s signing ceremony comes a week after a developer obtained tax credits to convert the hotel space that shares a roof with the Saenger into an affordable housing apartment complex. Members of the City Council have opposed the project, citing that it doesn’t fit in with their vision of a theater district on Canal Street.