Published: December 28, 2018
Downtown West Bend sign comes down —
temporarily — after more than 75 years
By Nicholas Dettmann
ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043
WEST BEND — A downtown landmark hovered in the
heart of downtown on Main Street on a drizzling and cool Thursday morning.
Several people stood on the sidewalk capturing
the moment with the camera on their phones.
The West Bend sign that has graced and
illuminated downtown for more than 75 years was officially taken down in the
most important step of the historic theater restoration project.
Bill Laufer, born and raised in West Bend, had
one thought cross his mind the moment he saw the sign gone. “It looks naked,”
he said. West Bend native Chris Forston agreed.
“It’s a little weird,” he said.
Laufer, who is also co-owner of the theater’s
neighboring business Candyman on Main, also thought about how the milestone
will impact his business.
He said whenever he’s asked where his store
is, he always says it’s next to the big West Bend sign on Main Street.
“I’m going to have to change that,” Laufer
said.
It’s a temporary move as part of the big-scale
theater restoration project. The sign, which was taken down by a crew from
Poblocki Sign Co., was put on the back of a flatbed truck where it’ll be
restored with new wiring, paint and bulbs. It’ll return to its home on the
front of the downtown theater in the summer.
But, for a couple months, downtown West Bend
is going to look quite different.
“It’s been there my whole life,” Forston said.
“We’ll miss it more at night when the lights
aren’t shining,” Laufer said.
For the last several months, work has been
done on the inside of the theater. But the removal of the sign is arguably the
most important step since planning on the project began about two years ago.
“This is the most visible step,” said Pat
O’Connor, treasurer for the Historic West Bend Theatre Inc. board.
“It’s absolutely thrilling,” he said, adding
the sign’s removal sends a message to the community that the project is for real.
The theater opened in 1929 but closed in 2006.
The restoration effort has received high praise from the community as well as
restoration experts, including Jeff Greene of Evergreene Architectural Arts in
Brooklyn, New York.
O’Connor said another important milestone has
been reached. The project’s goal was to raise at least $2 million of the
projected $3.5 million through the private sector. That goal has been achieved.
Also Thursday, the Rotary Club of West Bend
made a $25,000 donation toward the project.
The hope is for the theater to reopen by this
time next year. Once open, it is believed it will enrich the downtown offerings
with several entertainment options, such as movies, live theater, concerts,
company gatherings and so on.
Forston said if a top-notch comedian came to
West Bend and performed at the theater, he wouldn’t flinch to go see the show,
even if tickets are $100 or more. He’d go just to go back to the theater.
“It’s nostalgia,” Forston said when asked what
makes the theater special.
“The West Bend theater is a symbol of what West
Bend was built on,” he said, adding residents or visitors can’t help but think
of the West Bend theater and its 470-bulb sign when talking or thinking about
West Bend.
“I’m glad to see it’s being refurbished,”
Forston said.
Throughout the preparation leading up
Thursday’s milestone, several board members have heard consistent memories of
the theater and how excited the community is for its pending return.
Forston is one of those with fond memories. He
remembers going to see movies there growing up. He knows friends who remember
where they liked to sit in the theater.
During Fall Fest, O’Connor spoke with people
who stopped by the theater to check on its progress. He heard countless stories
from people, now grandparents, who spent their childhood and early adult years
going to the theater.
O’Connor isn’t from West Bend originally but
“married into West Bend 30 years ago.” However, he’s also heard his fair share
of stories about the theater, especially from his mother-in-law who remembered
going to the theater as a little girl.
O’Connor estimated the theater’s reopening will
bring more than 3,000 people to the city’s downtown annually.
When complete, the combination of the theater,
as well as the improved Riverwalk, the Museum of Wisconsin Art, the Gallery of
Wisconsin Art, a newly-opened authentic Italian restaurant and The Hub coffee
shop will put the city’s downtown on another level as far as attracting
visitors.
“It’s a very successful project,” O’Connor
said.
O’Connor also revealed some thoughts being
considered on how to raise some more money, as well as helping the community
embrace the project.
There is thought about creating a system
similar to what the Green Bay Packers have where people can buy a piece of
ownership. The thought is to offer the community chances to put down a certain
amount of money for something such as a seat in the theater or a light bulb on
the West Bend sign. They’d then get some kind of recognition as having some
“ownership” in the restoration of the downtown theater.
Laufer is excited for the project as a native
of the city and as a downtown business owner.
“It’s our calling card, especially at night,”
he said.
Laufer and his partner, Tom Meurer, have owned
Candyman on Main for 10 years and have never been open when the theater was
open.
“We’re excited about the possibilities,” Laufer
said.
No comments:
Post a Comment