by Rebecca Durante
On June 28, the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center’s major renovation, with a construction cost over $24 million, greatly due to pandemic-borne inflation. The project was not always so large, nor was the timeline as long when the Zeiterion Theatre, a nonprofit arts organization led by President and CEO Rosemary Gill, embarked on this adventure in 2016 with a strategic plan.
At the groundbreaking, from Wilson Butler Architects (l-r): Chris Dynia, Janeen Silva, Rebecca Durante, and Robert Levash
When they began, priorities aligned around improving the patron experience within the 101-year-old, city-owned building. The existing seats, with varying degrees of comfort, were mismatched donations in discordance with the 1923 “Adamesque” interior. The rake of the auditorium floor provided great sightlines but precarious slopes for those with mobility challenges. The restrooms were tired, hailing from the 1980s renovation with only the women’s restroom on the ground floor. The men’s restroom was accessed by a staircase at the back of the auditorium to the basement. Up two steps from the main lobby was the concessions bar, preventing access for many. The inner box office, framed by miniature Corinthian pilasters, was too small to be useful, not code compliant, and created security challenges.
In 2020, the Zeiterion hired Wilson Butler Architects to review a previously completed master plan and help pave the way forward. Program and goals were reevaluated to develop a new path for the renovation that prioritized accessibility, patron amenities, increased lobby area in a locked footprint, community event spaces, an education studio, new seats and historic restoration of the main lobby and theater interior, as well as technical improvements including a new sound system, new attic catwalk lighting position, and orchestra pit lift.
Rendering of the Zeiterion speakeasy
The second design meeting between the Zeiterion staff and design team began with elbow bumping and concerned conversation about this new “coronavirus.” Five days later, the world shut down and meetings went virtual. As can be imagined, the pandemic posed many threats for the organization, theater, and fate of the project, however Rosemary and her team pushed onward.
In 2018, a longtime supporter and anonymous donor provided a match challenge of $500,000, followed by two more pledges of $1 million in 2019 and 2022. After a pandemic pause for project fundraising, the Zeiterion team reinvigorated the campaign by hosting many successful outdoor events to keep donors engaged. Additionally, the City of New Bedford and the State of Massachusetts directed $7 million from ARPA funds to the project – a silver lining from the pandemic – and justifiable considering the Zeiterion’s impact of over $10.2 million (2019) in New Bedford’s economy. In addition to grants, Historic Tax Credits – awarded after careful compliance with National Parks and Massachusetts Historic Commission comments – helped fuel their momentum.
The number of hurdles the Zeiterion has met during this challenging time for nonprofits and theaters (and the world) did not deter the spirit of Rosemary Gill, her staff, and board. Simply put, failure was not an option. Their persistence, with the support of local community leaders, readies the century-old Zeiterion Theatre for future generations of South Coast patrons for decades to come.
Rebecca Durante
Rebecca Durante, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED AP is principal at Wilson Butler Architects.
