Paramount renovation committee in hunt for more funds for better seats, bigger stage and more

CEDAR RAPIDS - The head of the City Council-appointed committee that is leading the effort to restore the flood-damaged Paramount Theatre told the council on Tuesday evening that what has become a $33-million project will need to find $7 million it does not now have.

Jim Hoffman, chairman of the nine-member committee, won City Council support to make a bid to secure state and federal historic tax credits to try to close some of the project's funding gap.

Hoffman said the committee had begun its work expecting the renovation project to cost an amount equal to the amount of disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is about $21 million, plus the $5 million the project has secured in state I-JOBS funds.

However, Hoffman said the committee has moved on to Option B, which will increase the renovation cost for five reasons: a new seating layout with more comfortable seats; improved acoustics; an expanded orchestra pit; a larger stage and wingspace; and an improved loading and back-of-the-house area.

The committee has rejected an Option C, he said, which would have cost an additional $2 million.

He said plans call for the theatre's grand opening to be in the fall of 2012.

The council-appointed committee includes five voting members: Hoffman, of Orchestra Iowa; Al Varney, Five Seasons Facilities Commission; Peggy Whitworth, former executive director of Brucemore; Maura Pilcher, Historic Preservation Commission; and Vanessa Solesbee, Downtown District. Non-voting members are Marc Gullickson, Ryan Companies; Bradd Brown, OPN Architects Inc.; Scott Schoenike, executive director of the city's three entertainment venues, the Paramount, U.S. Cellular Center and Ice Arena; and Robert Massey, Orchestra Iowa executive director.