Mounds of dirt and construction equipment may take center stage at downtown Palm Springs’ Plaza Theatre currently, but once all the dust settles, the space will be restored to its original 1936 glory.
The restoration project, spearheaded by the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation, has been a long-time coming. Fundraising efforts began in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic and rising construction costs attempted to thwart the project’s future. The City of Palm Springs has provided $20 million to the restoration, with the stipulation that it ultimately be repaid about half that amount within three years of the end of construction. The Foundation has raised more than $15 million, but needs to raise at least $10 million more to cover the construction costs and contingencies plus startup expenses.
Construction work officially kicked off in March and is estimated to take over a year to complete, with an opening eyed for fall 2025. Foundation President JR Roberts, who is also a former Palm Springs city councilmember, invited The Desert Sun for a tour of the theater on Thursday. Before glamorous movie screenings and live theater productions become the norm, hard hats and neon-colored construction vests are the dress code inside.