The Palace Theatre: a case study in historic resource preservation

Abstract

The purpose of this Master's Degree Project (MDP) is to discuss the role of heritage resources in downtown revitalization using the Palace Theatre as a means of exploring the revitalization of Stephen Avenue Mall in Downtown Calgary. This project will determine how the Palace Theatre contributes to the sense of place of Stephen Avenue Mall and how to best preserve the theatre in order to attract more people to the Mall. The Palace Theatre is an important heritage resource on Stephen Avenue Mall in Downtown Calgary. Even vacant the theatre contributes to the sense of place of the Mall and in the Downtown. The Palace, as part of the historic downtown, was an important part of the physical, social, and emotional life of the Mall and Calgarians. With the preservation and reuse of the Palace, the theatre can once again play an active role on the Mall. This thesis determines that the best reuse option for the Palace Theatre would be to restore and renovate it as a road house/complex theatre. This use would be sympathetic to the building in terms of its architectural, historical, and urban context significance. In addition, the Palace would become important as both anchor and magnet on Stephen Avenue; as a road house/complex theatre it would attract development, people, and activity to the Mall. Increased tourism and visitation on Stephen Avenue will help to ensure the area's vitality; the restored Palace will be a crucial part of this revitalization. As a road house/complex theatre, the Palace would fulfill a community need for a 1500 seat facility, which is presently lacking. The theatre would become a major cultural amenity in Downtown Calgary. With proper planning and implementation, the Palace Theatre will not only be preserved and reused but it can also play a major role in the revitalization of Stephen Avenue Mall in Downtown Calgary.