Plan to Renovate Community Center Theater, Sacramento Convention Center Moves Forward

UPDATE: 6:40 A.M., 10/19/16: The Sacramento City Council is moving forward with a plan to renovate aging arts buildings downtown, including bringing more bathrooms to the Community Center Theater.

The theater's renovation could cost $83 million, and would temporarily move shows to the Memorial Theater, which would receive its own, less-costly upgrade.

The council approved those plans, and voted to continue a conceptual design for an even larger expansion and upgrade of the Sacramento Convention Center.

Original Post: The City of Sacramento has a $270-million plan to expand or renovate the Sacramento Convention Center, the Community Center Theater and the Memorial Auditorium. The city council will hear the proposal Tuesday night. 

The theater renovation would cost $83 million. During construction, some shows would be held at Memorial Auditorium, if $16 million in renovations are first made to that facility.

The proposal's third item is a $170 million expansion of the Convention Center.

The vast majority, 85 percent, of the overall project would be financed with the Transit Occupancy Tax.

If the plan is approved, the convention center would be expanded by about 50 percent to 200,000 square feet.

The Community Center Theater would receive upgrades to staging, seating, lobbies, acoustics and plumbing.

Memorial auditorium would also receive upgrades to lighting, acoustics, seating and the orchestra pit. Those changes would be complete by Spring 2019.

Construction on the Convention Center and theater projects would be complete by spring of 2021.

The city says a second expansion of the convention center could cost another $120 million.

City Council Item: Community Center Theater Transformation and Sac Convention Center Expansion by Capital Public Radio on Scribd