The Entertainment Center for Upper Skagit County!

Closed

Monday

thru Thursdays,

But Available for Private Engagements

Publication: Skagit Valley Herald; Date: Dec 22, 2005; Section: Applause  Page Number:D1

A Welcome Return

Breon Williams has been working to refurbish the inside of the old Concrete Theatre, which has been closed for about three years.

Undergoing a makeover but retaining its small-town charm, the 82-year-old Concrete Theatre will soon open its doors again

Story by BEVERLY CRICHFIELD

Photos by Scott Terrell

Skagit Valley Herald

 CONCRETE — The seats are being replaced, the old wood floor is almost sanded to a smooth finish and the curtain is about to go up once again on the historic Concrete Theatre.

Breon Williams can’t wait. The Skagit County transplant from Oak Harbor has set his sights on transforming the 82-year-old theatre along Main Street in the downtown core into a bustling community hub with old-time flair.

Williams strolled down the aisle of the theatre auditorium, rubbing his long hands together to keep warm in the frosty air.

He’s already well on his way to making some key improvements in time to open the theater the first week of February — a great way to start off the new year, he said.

He and friends Don Burns and Micky Peters were busy sanding down the old, stained wood floor and installing the new, heavy 20-footwide, 15-foot-high movie screen where Williams plans to show first-and second-release films.

“They say this thing is heavier, but we can move it,” Williams said, shoving against the long, narrow black crate where the screen in tucked inside.

Williams purchased the theatre in early November from Linell McDonough of New Jersey.

McDonough’s son, Ryan, and his wife, Heather, began operating the theatre in 2001. Linell McDonough had purchased the building from the estate of long-time theatre owner — and through the years, theatre seller several times — Doug Sorensen, who died in 1998.

Part of the Concrete Theatre’s makeover includes replacing 180 wooden seats with better padded seats, sanding down the old, worn wood floor and a new sound system.		Breon Williams, owner of the Concrete Theatre on Main Street in downtown Concrete, adjusts the 1942 Century C movie projector that’s been used in the theatre for years.

Williams bought the building for $75,000 — about $5,000 less than it’s been assessed. He managed a personal loan to pay for the building. He also received a $45,000 federal revolving loan from Skagit Council of Governments. That money has gone toward new equipment, including updating the 1942 Century C movie projector, purchasing the new screen and bunches of refurbished padded seats to replace the uncomfortable wooden chairs that have been in the theatre for years.

The balance of the purchase price was squeezed out of Williams’ own pockets.

Strolling through the building, Williams gazed up at the drop ceiling that was installed by the McDonoughs when they bought the theatre.

Much of the more expensive work on the building already has been done, including bringing it up to seismic standards, painting the walls in the town’s school colors — yellow and purple — and improving the basement dressing rooms.

For Williams, an office software specialist with a bachelor’s degree in business management, the theatre was a bargain and perfect for his first business endeavor.

Since Williams began working on his new project in November, curious passersby have stopped to stick their heads in the door and check out the evolving changes. Some have even taken the liberty of a self-guided tour through the building, much to Williams’ alarm.

The last thing he needs is to have someone trip over one of the cords of his power sander and break a leg, he joked.

But the resurrection of the theatre has generated plenty of buzz and excitement from residents and nearby business owners.

“We’re looking forward to it because we’re hoping that it will draw more people downtown,” said Carol Jones, who works with the Concrete Chamber of Commerce.

Not only will it generate more business, but Jones said the movies likely will give kids something to do in the evenings.

“Mostly the kids up here don’t have much to do, without going miles out of town,” she said.

Williams is more than ready to tap into that young market.

But he knows he’s got a challenge ahead to make the theatre a success.

The building has been a sort of albatross for its owners since it was built in 1923 by promoter C.B. Stickley to replace the original theatre across the street that burned down in 1920.

In the beginning, when Concrete was a bustling town, the theatre was the center of community activities.

But in later years, it struggled to stay open and was sold to different owners who either lost it through foreclosure or sold it for lack of enthusiasm.

Sue Miller-Vik, owner of Cascade Country Realty in Concrete, has had little luck finding a buyer for the theatre since it was listed for sale in February 2004.

“This has been an extremely tough sell,” she said from her office. “I’ve shown it more times than anything else I’ve had listed. I get a whole lot of people who want to go and look just because they’re curious.”

But no takers, Miller-Vik said. The problem?  “Financing,” she said without hesitation. Seems banks and even the federal Small Business Administration have refused to loan, saying they don’t think the population of Concrete can support a movie theater, she said. “We’ve even had written petitions from people up here (for potential buyers) saying they’re willing to use it,” Miller-Vik said.

The theatre was packed with people during a Halloween party several years ago, thrown by the previous owners, she said. The business might have continued successfully if the McDonoughs hadn’t lost interest in it, she said.

Williams admitted he had trouble finding financing through traditional means. He approached the Skagit Council of Governments with a proposal earlier this year. Kelly Moldstad, the council’s executive director, said Williams’ project perfectly fit the loan criteria — it would create jobs for low- to moderate income people and give a boost to the town’s economic base.

Williams said he plans to open the theater to local performing groups, schools, community events and even teach some computer software classes.

Already, Williams said he has received interest from the Skagit Eagle Festival and a youth dance group that would like to use the stage for classes and rehearsals.

Williams and his assistant, Peters, have been trying to come up with a schedule to show first- and second-run movies. The biggest challenge has been working with the film distributors, Peters said. A theater is required to show first-run films every night, or send them back immediately, Peters said.  That means the movie has to be shown on a daily basis, and can’t be interrupted by a theater production, she said. Likely, the theater will run movies for three weeks and set aside one week for school and theater productions and community events, Peters said.

Aside from his business aspirations, Williams’ other big goal is to have the building placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It already has earned a spot on the state historic register.  The theater has retained much of its small-town character — a small stage, auditorium and entry. It even includes an antique silent film projector. Williams said he wants to retain that old-time charm — almost.  “It would be really nice when people come in here to think it’s an older theatre, but it’s a first-class older theatre,” Williams said.

Beverly Crichfield can be reached at 360-416-2135 or by e-mail at bcrichfield@skagitvalley herald.com.

45920 Main Street, Concrete, WA  98237

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 485

Send mail to Webmaster with questions or comments about this web site.

Last modified: Friday October 17, 2008.

[ Home ] [ Up ]