Press release from the City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gainesville leaders and community members gathered today to celebrate the return of a one-of-a-kind cultural treasure: the Hippodrome Theatre’s historic elevator. Tucked inside the City-owned facility, the elevator began operating when the building opened in 1911 as a U.S. Post Office and Federal Courthouse. Today, the manually operated elevator — originally installed by the Otis Elevator Company — is recognized as the oldest of its kind in Florida and has now been fully restored after months of careful repair.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by Gainesville Mayor Harvey L. Ward, along with Hippodrome Director Evans Haile and Michael Curry, President of the Board of Directors. The refurbishment was championed by City Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker, who has long focused on using culture and the arts to enrich the lives of young people. The $135,799 elevator restoration symbolizes progress on two fronts. It represents an important investment in the future of theater in Gainesville, and it also makes Hippodrome visits easier for current patrons who rely on a working elevator for accessibility to the mainstage…