Downtown reconstruction project to cost $12 million

One gets the feeling at the moment that Daryl Faber is like a little kid in a toy store, barely able to contain his enthusiasm for the project about to launch under his watch.

“We’ve waited two years to roll this out, and this is the perfect night for it,” said Faber, who is the Auburn Parks, Arts and Recreation Director.

“It” is the downtown Reconstruction project, with its crowning jewels, a new, three-to-four-story theater to replace the now demolished Auburn Avenue Theater, a new city park and public gathering place to its east, and a major upgrade to the B Street Plaza.

Scoping and planning kept public works employees busy throughout the detailed design phase of the project, which is about 50 percent complete today, according to City Engineer Matt Larson, who will manage the work.

Early drawings of the future complex envision a theater, extending from the corner of East Main and Auburn Avenue. It will be about 25 percent larger than the old theater, with additional seating, a larger stage and a green room for the performers to prepare and other amenities. They are 50 percent through the design phase according to City Larson, who will manage the project.

City leaders expect the entertainment complex, complemented by the recently-opened Postmark Center for the Arts in the former US Post Office, later King County Public Health building just to the north of it.

In addition to the theater and public park, the project will realize:

A new, downtown decorative traffic signal and intersection improvements at Auburn Avenue and East Main

Street-lighting upgrades, including a catenary lighting system

An upgrading of underground utilities along Main Street

New sidewalks, lighting and landscaping

The estimated total project cost is $12 million. With no money from the city’s general fund involved, as Faber said, where will the dollars come from? Well, from:

The arterial street fund

Real Estate Excise Tax (REET)

Local revitalization funds

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

A King County Conservation Futures grant for the park and for preliminary design only

Alive in Arts

“Not a lot of communities around here are doing what we’re doing,” Faber said.

Larson said the city looks to start construction this coming January or February and finish in 12 months. But, given all that is involved, that timeline could change.

“Keep in mind that heavy construction takes many months and procuring the materials takes a lot of time, specifically for the decorative light A lot of infrastructure must be placed waiting for some of it to be delivered,” Larson said.

Built in 1926, the old theater building was originally a bus depot, and later a movie theater and then a dinner theater. The City of Auburn entered into a lease in 2007 with the former owners, the Douglas family, which had operated the dinner theater.

Once in charge, the city ran its Bravo! Performing Arts season from there, offering teen and adult performances of all kinds, including live bands, comedy sets, tributes, even full-scale theater productions for adults and kids. Most of the touring groups were from the Northwest.

In 2016, the city bought the theater outright. Receipts over the last 14 years show the theater was successful both in attracting people for entertainment in the downtown core and as a money maker. The venue hosted performances summing up to about 80 each year, with an average annual attendance of 14,000.

Faber spoke with appreciation of the many letters the city has received in support of the project, which lets staff know they are working on something that people really want.

Council members look for it all to become a major draw for Auburn’s visitors and a money maker.

“I am so proud of the leadership that has really put forward arts here in the city. It is so needed, it’s so asked for,” said Councilmember Tracy Taylor

Councilmember Cheryl Rakes also liked what she had heard, but inquired about parking.

“As best we can, we’re trying to maintain as much downtown, on-street parking as possible We haven’t finalized that number yet,” said Larson, who is managing the project. “There may be one or two spots that we have to sacrifice for this. There is no current plan yet for the theater itself. Basically, the idea here is that downtown parking is more open in the evenings or events such as this.”