Ongoing work on the new marquee at The Screening Room on Congress Street has hit a "structural snag" according to Michael Keith, a developer and board member of the Arizona Media Arts Center, but the delay of three to four weeks won't stop the marquee from being installed and lit up by the end of October.
In July, the old marquee that had hung on the circa-1910 building at 127 E. Congress St. for the last 70 years was removed. It was discovered that the marquee wasn't attached to anything that the new marquee must be anchored to in order to meet modern structural codes.
Book-ended by the historic Fox and Rialto Theatres, Congress Street has a two-block stretch in between that is notably quiet, empty, and dark. A vacant lot, empty buildings, a parking lot, and occupied buildings that are open for public uses only occasionally are what characterize the blocks between Stone and 6th Avenues. Between Hydra and Chicago Store at 6th, and the banks at Stone Avenue, only some offices, the 24-hour diner Grill, and the sushi restaurant On a Roll provide much life now.
That is changing with plans by Pearl Nightclub owner Luke Cusack to open four bars or restaurants between Stone and 6th, the opening of sandwich place Jimmy John's next to On a Roll near Scott Avenue, and with the improvements underway at The Screening Room.
The Arizona Media Arts Center, which runs The Screening Room and the Arizona International Film Festival, was awarded a matching grant from the City's Facade Program last year. AzMAC/The Screening Room is raising money for its half of the approximately $125,000 facade re-do and marquee construction, and, according to Keith, the organization has raised about $20,000 so far.
Keith is clearly excited by the project. "We'll build a blazing neon marquee that is going to light up Congress for a hundred years," says Keith. The project also includes interior improvements and heating, ventilation and air conditioning work, which will allow The Screening Room to become more of a year-round venue.
Keith hopes the venue will fill an edgy niche in the middle of Congress-hosting the Ignite Tucson series, small music shows, and other special performances in addition to movies.
The long-range vision of Keith and the board at the Film Festival is to turn the annual festival into the "Sundance of the South."
"Once the streetscape work on Congress is done, we can really build this film festival into a one-to-two-week event, with the Fox and Rialto as partners," Keith says. He sees red carpets, celebrities, and urban elegance. Keith continues to speak optimistically about the Congress streetscape improvements for which he has been a persistent advocate, as he knows fully well that the project presently has no funding-when it seemed that its funding was secured by the TIF extension in 2006.
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