Slowly but surely you will begin to notice changes in the Fox Oakland’s façade. Drive past one day and the awkward fencing will be gone, the plywood window boards removed. Stroll by several months later and the bricks and terra cotta will appear brighter and free of chips and discoloration.

The steady work of the Façade Restoration Project aims to return the architectural fabric of the building to its 1928 grandeur. It’s no easy task, but a $375,000 grant from the State Historic Resources Commission—matched by City of Oakland funds—will fuel the project and continue the momentum begun by the 2000 roof replacement and 2001 restoration of the marquee and neon sign.

The City has not yet announced when work will begin, but FOOF is monitoring the project, and will keep you informed about any progress—so check this website often.

The first priority is to repair and make consistent the 48 storefronts flanking the theater’s entrance, many of which are altered or boarded up. Next, the masonry, terra cotta, tile and marble elements will be tested, strengthened, cleaned and repaired or replaced as necessary. Deteriorated mortar joints will be re-pointed. Steel sash windows and corroded metal spandrel panels will also be cleaned, repainted and restored. Wooden awning boxes will be stabilized and cleaned. And finally, the majestic dome—already in remarkable shape—will get its finishing restorative touches.

When this restoration is complete, the Fox Oakland’s exotic embellishments will come alive, and the theater will enhance its status as a jewel of the Uptown District. With a restored façade, free of all blight, more people will awaken to the potential of reusing the Fox Oakland as a center for performing arts, and the Fox Oakland will anchor a retail-business revival along Telegraph Avenue. For the team of downtown planners mapping the Uptown District’s future, for Uptown businesses, and for all friends of the Fox Oakland Theater, this project is a critical step.

Director:
GEORGE DURNEY (CEDA Project Manager)

Producer:
OAKLAND REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Funder:
CALIFORNIA HERITAGE FUND GRANT PROGRAM ($375,000)
CENTRAL DISTRICT REDEVELOPMENT FUNDS ($375,000)

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Why wait for a full restoration to re-open the Fox Oakland’s doors? It will take years to finish and a daunting $68 million to fund. Meanwhile, the monolithic structure will sit lifeless and abandoned in the Uptown District, deterring retail development when it could anchor development.

The answer is to engineer a shortcut: Re-open the Fox Oakland to the public before any de facto restoration begins. The elegant ruins would be like fertile soil for a garden of performances. On a stage bounded by two golden Hindu gods, imagine a rock band belting out guitar chords or a string quartet playing Mendelssohn. Picture yourself in the audience, ordering a drink at the bar, chatting with friends on the mezzanine, or studying the ornate artwork on the walls.

That’s the vision of downtown planners mapping out The Ruins Project—a 550-seat cabaret-style performance space, with temporary seating such as tables and chairs on stepped platforms. The Fox Oakland’s balcony, wrap-around office buildings, basement, and possibly the stage house would all remain off limits. In this "ruins concept," nothing would be repainted, except possibly the Hindu statues, and nothing restored except possibly the restrooms.

What will it take to complete this project? The biggest single obstacle is the bad air quality inside the Fox Oakland, contaminated by years of accumulating mold. Experts have concluded that all the mold in the building must be cleaned, all the asbestos encapsulated, and all the lead-based paint removed or stabilized.

A range of other issues need to be hashed out. Planners already know that the proscenium arch and the balcony will need strengthening and bracing. But they must decide how to heat and ventilate the theater, and how to provide temporary lighting and electricity. Raising money to fund The Ruins Project is also a major issue, with a realistic price tag running around $27 million.

Since November 2002, planners have been busily inspecting the Fox Oakland and meeting monthly to discuss how to implement their ideas. As these exciting plans move forward, watch for regular updates on this website.

This new concept in theater restoration being developed by the following producers, directors, cast, and crew (partial list):

FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR
Alan R. Dreyfuss, AIA, Alan R. Dreyfuss Architects
Mark McClure, Alarcon Bohm
Nancy Guinther, BBI Construction
Phillip H. Tagami, California Commercial Investments
Alan Beales, Cresco Equipment Rentals
Kurt Schindler, AIA, ELS
Patricia Dedekian, Friends of the Oakland Fox
Gary Knecht , Friends of the Oakland Fox
Matthew H. Youdall, Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz
Hratch Kouyoumdjian, S.E., KPA Group
Dipak P. Patel, S.E., KPA Group
Robert J. Riegel, Architect, S.E., KPA Group
Michael E. Willis, FAIA, Michael Willis Architects
Neil H. Joson, SJ Engineers
James J. Hofrichter, Turner Construction Company
Willy Mautner, AIA , Turner Construction Company

FROM THE CITY OF OAKLAND
Phil Basada, CEDA, Building Services
Dominic Ma, CEDA, Building Services
Marvin Millet , CEDA, Building Services
Donald B. Smith, CEDA, Building Services
Jennifer Wong, CEDA, Building Services
Calvin Wong, P.E., CEDA, Chief of Building Services
Rosie Rios, CEDA, Director of Economic Development and Redevelopment
Bill Lambert, CEDA, Economic Development Manager
Betty Marvin, CEDA, Planning
Jeff Chew, CEDA, Redevelopment
George Durney, CEDA, Redevelopment
Sylvia Chaney-Williamson, Fire Services Agency
Amanda Brown-Stevens, Policy Analyst, Office of Councilmember Nancy Nadel

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