Big project underway for The Delft Theater
A downtown Marquette landmark will soon be brought back to life.
Plans are proposed to renovate The Delft Theater into a restaurant, and a complete restoration of the outside of the building, including the marquee.
The Marquette Downtown Development Authority is applying for a grant to help with renovate the marquee.
“The marquee is in disrepair,” Marquette DDA Executive Director Mona Lang said. “There was a time when the former owners had talked about taking down the marquee. The community kind of rallied around it and really made it known that that theater, that marquee, that building is a landmark and a treasure in our downtown.”
The renovations inside the theater include a 250 seat restaurant on three stories, and eventually renovations to theater on Main Street.
Lang said revitalizing The Delft will help continue to improve the downtown’s businesses.
“The renovation, the restoration will really be an inspiration and I think it’ll be a catalyst,” Lang said. “A lot of times what we see one major project just really incentifies others to continue on and to re-do their buildings and look for additional economic development opportunities.”
The costs of the renovations are expected to be $1.6 million, and Lang said the owners of The Delft are hoping to have it completed by November 2014.