Theatre Executive Director Alex Nerad said improvements to the patron experience were the top priority as the non-profit board that oversees the theatre approached the City of DeKalb for $2.5 million from tax increment finance money for downtown improvements in order to jump-start their fundraising campaign.  The total cost of the project is estimated at $5.5 million. It involves a 4,200 square foot addition to the south of the theatre building (incorporating an 18-foot basement to house new heating and ventilating equipment and the ability to add air conditioning units on the roof). For theatergoers, all new concession areas and spacious restrooms will be constructed in the addition matching the main floor and mezzanine levels.  

Besides the usual complexities of a renovation project, Marketing and Communications Director Jeanine Holcomb explained the finer points of finding the right period-correct materials to use in the new wing and where carpets will be replaced.  She said this includes procuring tiles and carpet that carry out the “Egyptian” motif that is part of the original structure.

The Egyptian Theatre opened on December 10, 1929.  It originally featured both vaudeville and movie events.  The Egyptian closed in 1977 and was almost demolished before Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre, Inc. (PET) stepped up to find the money for renovations.  Out of more than 100 Egyptian-themed theatres built in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it is one of only five known to survive. The theatre reopened in 1983 but covering operating costs has always been difficult because it is forced to close for three months in the summer.  The new air conditioning will allow an estimated 45 more events at the theatre with a direct economic impact of more than $1 million. Tax-deductible donations to support the project may be sent to: Egyptian Theatre, Attn. Expansion Project, 135 N. 2nd Street, DeKalb, IL 60115.