Victory Theatre rehab in Holyoke nears key hurdle, as bid docs for $71M project nearly ready

The Victory Theatre building on Thursday in Holyoke.

The Victory Theatre building on Thursday in Holyoke. —

A look inside the Victory Theatre building  last Thursday in Holyoke.

A look inside the Victory Theatre building last Thursday in Holyoke. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

Matt Jacobs, Barr & Barr senior vice president, left, and Don Sanders, executive director of MIFA Victory Theatre, stand outside of the Victory Theatre building on Thursday in Holyoke.

Matt Jacobs, Barr & Barr senior vice president, left, and Don Sanders, executive director of MIFA Victory Theatre, stand outside of the Victory Theatre building on Thursday in Holyoke. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

The outside of the  Victory Theatre building  last Thursday in Holyoke.

The outside of the Victory Theatre building last Thursday in Holyoke. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

Don Sanders,  executive director of MIFA Victory Theatre, shows the Tiffany glass windows inside the Victory Theatre building.

Don Sanders, executive director of MIFA Victory Theatre, shows the Tiffany glass windows inside the Victory Theatre building. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

A look inside the Victory Theatre building  last Thursday in Holyoke.

A look inside the Victory Theatre building last Thursday in Holyoke. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

A look inside the Victory Theatre building  last Thursday in Holyoke.

A look inside the Victory Theatre building last Thursday in Holyoke. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

A look inside the Victory Theatre building  last Thursday in Holyoke.

A look inside the Victory Theatre building last Thursday in Holyoke. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

Don Sanders, executive director of MIFA Victory Theatre, in front of the main stage area of the 1920 Broadway-style Victory Theatre  in downtown Holyoke. Construction bid documents for the $71 million planned rehabilitation are expected to be finalized by the end of summer.

Don Sanders, executive director of MIFA Victory Theatre, in front of the main stage area of the 1920 Broadway-style Victory Theatre in downtown Holyoke. Construction bid documents for the $71 million planned rehabilitation are expected to be finalized by the end of summer. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

A look inside the Victory Theatre building  last Thursday in Holyoke.

A look inside the Victory Theatre building last Thursday in Holyoke. FOR THE GAZETTE/DAN LITTLE

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 06-30-2024 3:00 PM

HOLYOKE — Construction bid documents for the $71 million planned rehabilitation and reopening of the 1920 Broadway-style Victory Theatre in downtown are expected to be finalized by the end of summer — a good sign for a project that many believe will be transformational for the region’s arts scene and serve as an economic catalyst for Holyoke.

Victory Theatre Project Manager Susan Palmer told the city’s Development and Government Relations Committee earlier this month that the documents could be ready by Aug. 1, or a month earlier than anticipated, meaning that the project remains on target or ahead of schedule.

With $78 million in funding sources, and close to a $22 million investment in private equity from Axos Bank of San Diego facilitated by Stifel Investment Bank of St Louis, enough money is available for the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts Victory Theatre to begin work, Palmer said.

“In terms of have we identified enough money to get the job done? We have,” Palmer said.

Palmer, who has an expertise in theaters, said the project will draw people into the community when the work is completed by June 2026.

In 2009, MIFA acquired the rundown 81-89 Suffolk St. site that has now been closed for 45 years, and in recent weeks heavy machinery has been positioned inside, with workers on the roof and in the ceilings of the building that would normally have 1,600 seats. Those seats have been removed as part of preparing for the construction.

MIFA Executive Artistic Director Donald T. Sanders told the city panel that the progress is extraordinary.

Sanders provided a tour of the building late last week, with some walls opened up to continue a necessary evaluation in preparation for the construction bid documents.

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The tour comes on the heels of the spring’s completion of a $400,000 restoration of two 23-foot-tall murals, created by Italian immigrant Vincent Maragliotti in 1942. Though those have returned to the city, they are being kept off site and will not be put back alongside either side of the theater’s stage until the renovation work is finished.

Much of the ongoing work is not visible, said Matt Jacobs, construction manager for Barr & Barr of Springfield. Workers are in the midst of getting access to areas so they can finish the construction bid documents But Jacobs said this is also to mitigate water infiltration and prevent deterioration that might occur.

There is both enthusiasm and concern about the project from councilors who serve on the committee. In late 2022, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia pledged $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money toward the work.

Ward 6 Councilor Juan Anderson-Burgos said that people should see Victory Theatre as a piece of history in the city and as being similar to venues in other areas.

“This is what we need in this city, because if it’s good enough for Boston, if it’s good enough for New York, if it’s good enough for Rhode Island, well dang it, it’s good enough for Holyoke,” Anderson-Burgos said.

At-Large Councilor Michael Sullivan said how the public views it, though, is that Holyoke officials need to fix problems with crime, which will continue to discourage people from coming to events, even should the theater renovation be complete in the coming years.

“The thing that we’re not addressing here, these people with the discretionary income, if we’re still picking bodies off the street and needles off the street, having drive-by shootings, they’re not coming here no matter how beautiful a theater we build or how wonderful a play we put on,” Sullivan said.

Ward 4 Councilor Kocayne Givner, who chairs the committee, said more affordable housing, enhanced municipal services and increased policing can all be generated from revenue from those who come to Holyoke for shows and then spend money at other businesses.

“Having more funds to do the things we need is really helpful, so why not take the money from those who would like to come in and spend it,” Givner said.

Sanders provided a summary of work done over the winter and into early spring, including various roof repairs and investigations and making the parapet and chimney safe, Then, this spring, the work has included installing a Jersey barrier and custom scrim along Chestnut Street, placing a temporary fence near the alley and demolishing ceilings for the structural reviews.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.