Stopped by the Princess today, just to see what had changed over the past two or three weeks. The place has been cleaned up and looked pretty good, at least as much as a construction site can be cleaned with ongoing work.
One thing that struck me was how much you can see the old original lobby floor through the dust. I'm sure it will be spit-shined (if not replaced) as the final act, but at least there was enough visible that it brought back old memories of standing by the concession stand waiting on my popcorn and drink.
Just about then, Jim Duncan walked up behind me and made me jump! He keeps a pretty close watch on things down there daily. We reminisced a little and then he went one way and I pushed forward into the recesses wearing my hardhat.
The cut from the Margrave building side into the Tappan side has been made and both sides are being sheet-rocked.
As I passed the complex later that evening, there were people on the roof of the Tappan building and debris was being jettisoned off the side into the dumpster on the street below.
Bottom line, there is a lot of working being done by a very aggressive work crew these days. It seems to me that there is a strong push on to wind things up ahead of some unannounced schedule, which doesn't bother me any at all!
I've also heard that the retrofit of the old lighting fixtures has been completed, so I hope to have a photo, or two, of those in a day or two. I think seeing them will really be exciting and bring back even more memories of the good times I spent in the Princess.
I also noticed a lot more wiring work in the main auditorium. Note the trenches in the photo above that have been cut into the concrete floor for more power and sound wiring. Believe me, there are miles of new conduit and wiring that have been laid and pulled in this restoration job. New wiring and outlets are everywhere. It could be said that conduit and wiring, not just steel and brick, is holding up the new Princess!
More to come!
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2 comments:
Here's something interesting for you: My grandfather was James Duncan and he ran the Princess Theater in Decatur, AL for many years before It closed as a movie theater in the 70's and then became a performing arts theater and re-opened later.
It is also an Art Deco theater the same a your Princess. After the closing my grandfather opened a movie supply company across the street which he ran for many years until his death. He also kept a close eye on the Princess the same as your Jim Duncan.
Hey man, write up a little something, especially lessons learned through the years, and send it to me. I'll post it here!
Thanks for the comment.
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