The Historic Hilo Palace Theater is being restored to its former glory. The Palace team is making the most of this period of closure, currently working through a full restoration of the theater’s front facade. The earthquake of 2018 caused substantial damage to the stucco, and several large pieces of wood trim fell off the building to the sidewalk below. The project is not merely an aesthetic one, but a matter of public safety.
The ambitious project was prompted by a loyal patron who expressed that the dilapidated facade was a serious detriment to the Palace. This anonymous patron offered a generous gift of $25,000 toward the restoration, but only if another $50,000 could be raised to complete the project.
“Thus began our campaign to raise the $50,000,” said Wendy Peskin, president of the Palace Board. “We were awarded a Historic Preservation grant of $79,000, which assured the initial $25,000 gift, and made the project attainable. Mason Architects in Honolulu created the historically correct design and construction documents for our 1925 ‘Beaux Arts’ beauty, which enabled us to gather bids which gave us a sense of the actual costs. We continued to raise money for this project and ultimately reached our goal with generous donations from community and an additional foundation grant,” said Peskin.
“The restoration is not a small project,” said Phillips Payson, Executive Director of the Palace Theater. “Repairs were made to areas with major damage. Two stories of scaffolding were erected to complete the task, along with repairing and repainting the historical wood trim elements. After years of absence, the decorative plaster urns have been reattached to their perch above the second story windows. People walking by the theater stop and marvel at the theater’s fresh look, but there is still much work to be done.”
Up next on the docket is the painting of ground level poster cases and doorways, repairs to the awning marquee overhanging the sidewalk, refurbishing of the metal work, and last but certainly not least is the full restoration of the facade’s neon elements to light up the warm Hilo nights
As for the long-awaited air conditioning, the Palace team is currently awaiting final inspection from the Hawaii County Fire Department. With a signed off inspection and an issued building permit, the Palace will begin, at last, Phase I of the AC installation.
“The Palace would not be where we are today without the generous donations from our many faithful patrons and donors. While we are closed to the public during this turbulent time, we have pivoted our operations to a “Virtual Venue.” Follow along on Facebook and subscribe to the Hilo Palace on YouTube to stay up to date on our ongoing digital concert series,” said Payson.
For more information, visit hilopalace.com or call the theater at 934-7010, 10 a.m-3 p.m., on weekdays.