'It will look like it did in 1926.' $5M grant expected to restore Jayhawk Theatre to former grandeur
A $5 million grant announced Thursday is expected to enable downtown Topeka's Historic Jayhawk Theatre to be restored to its former grandeur.
"For the untrained eye, you'll be able to walk in there and it will look like it did in 1926," said Scott Gales, a board member for that historic entertainment venue and chairman of the fundraising committee for its restoration project.
Gales was among board members, donors, community leaders and elected officials who gathered joyfully Friday afternoon to take part in a news conference on the stage of that theater at 720 S.W. Jackson.
"This will be the jewel of Kansas. Not Topeka. Of Kansas," said Vic Miller, D-Topeka, minority leader of the Kansas House of Representatives.
'We need to get this right'
The Kansas Department of Commerce announced Thursday it had awarded a $5 million grant to the restoration campaign through its SPRINT program, which promotes State Park Revitalization and Investment in Notable Tourism.
“Providing a SPRINT award to the Jayhawk Theatre project is an investment not only in Topeka’s tourism sector, but the entire Kansas economy,” said David Toland, lieutenant governor and secretary of commerce. “Restoring the theater to its former glory will provide increased tourism and economic growth to the Sunflower State, by attracting new entertainment acts and visitors from all over the country.”
Saying state leadership and the Shawnee County legislative delegation "made our next big step possible," Jayhawk Theatre board president Jeff Carson expressed gratitude to those lawmakers.
"We have a huge project ahead of us, and we take this very seriously," Carson said. "We have one remaining historic theater in Topeka, and it’s the official state theater of Kansas. We need to get this right.”
Carson added: "What began decades ago as a mission to ‘Save the Jayhawk’ has been sustained by more than 100 passionate board members and volunteers, dedicated to keeping this vision alive since 1994. Their progress and in-kind contributions total nearly $750,000, and has significantly contributed to where we are today."
Kansas' commitment 'will have a ripple effect'
Those involved with the restoration project displayed architectural renderings Friday in the theater showing how it's anticipated to look when restoration is complete.
"This game-changing commitment from the State of Kansas will have a ripple effect beyond what any of us can truly measure," said Joanne Morrell, the theater's consultant and project manager. "We are building upon a legacy here — restoring an important community asset that will help us recruit, retain and bring back our young professionals."
While current occupancy limits allow a standing audience of 299 people, the theater is to be renovated in a manner that will increase those limits to 700 seated and 1,200 standing, board members said.
Phase one of the restoration efforts is to anticipated address life safety infrastructure, which includes access, egress, fire escapes and sprinkler systems, while also sealing and waterproofing the exterior of the building.
Phase two is to improve components of the theater that include its dressing and green rooms, showers, direct stage access and stair levels.
More: See inside efforts to revise the historic Jayhawk Theatre in downtown Topeka
Jayhawk Theatre was nearly torn down in early 1990s
The Jayhawk Theatre opened in 1926 and hosted movies, pageants, concerts and other live performances until it closed in 1976, said the website of the Kansas Historical Society.
The theater was nearly torn down in 1992. The following year, the Kansas Legislature recognized it as the official state theater of Kansas.
In the decades that followed, the Jayhawk's supporters worked to raise money but faced many challenges.
It was only in recent years that the Jayhawk began raising "real money" and laying the groundwork for this year's successful grant application, Carson said.
During that time, he said, the theater's restoration efforts received contributions from the Federal Home Loan Bank and Topeka-based Clayton Financial, and a $680,000 transient guest tax allocation over 12 years from Topeka's city government.
KT Tunstall to perform at Jayhawk Theatre
Miller recalled at Thursday's news conference how, when his high school held its junior/senior prom in 1968 in a different part of the Jayhawk Hotel, he and a buddy who went stag and two young ladies who also came without dates went together to watch a film in the Jayhawk Theatre.
Miller said of the film, "You may have heard of it — 'The Graduate.'"
Miller told those at Friday's news conference that they were "going to regret it" if they didn't buy a ticket for Thursday evening's scheduled performance at Jayhawk Theatre by Scottish singer KT Tunstall, who's had hits in the U.S. with her songs "Suddenly I See" and "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree."
Miller said he'd personally seen Tunstall perform, and was very impressed.
Ticket prices range from $30 to $50 and are available on the theater's website.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: $5M grant should restore Topeka's Jayhawk Theatre to former grandeur
