Luce Auditorium sits patiently waiting for the right group of folks to help wipe away the veil of dust that has been collecting for the last 10 years. Like a gem, she’s ready to shine.
To speed the rebirth process, the city has set aside $14,580 from the Commission for Arts and Culture to help pay for a needs and use assessment study that will look at possible uses for the historic venue, announced Mayor Jerry Sanders on Wednesday, May 29.
The funding goal for the use study is now within $12,000 of its mark for the historic auditorium, which stands unused at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Sanders was joined at the news conference by District 2 Councilmember Kevin Faulconer, NTC Foundation Board Chair Gordon Swanson and Victoria Hamilton, executive director of the city of San Diego’s Commission for Arts and Culture.
Sanders stood across the street from the 1,800-seat auditorium on Truxtun Road, speaking optimistically about the future, although the foundation still needs to raise $11,295 for the study. The assessment costs about $65,000 in all.
“The renovation of this auditorium is critical to the success of the NTC Promenade project,” Sanders said.
The NTC Promenade ” the former Naval Training Center ” has been identified by the city as one of five arts and culture projects for 2007 that would serve as a city civic arts and cultural district, Sanders said.
In addition to the money from the Commission for Arts and Culture, the NTC Foundation has raised almost $40,000 for the study. Alan Ziter, the foundation’s executive director, said private donations from local residents should round out the balance needed by mid-June.
The study will determine the historic limitations of the building. Some of the architecture cannot be changed because of its historic significance, Ziter said. The assessment will also look at the size of the facility that would best accommodate the various groups hoping to use it.
Other potential uses for the auditorium include a “day-use” option for conferences and meetings, or even a movie theatre, Ziter said.
The study should be completed by Dec. 15, Ziter said.
Donations from the community will make it more meaningful to Peninsula residents who want to keep the auditorium open for community uses rather than professional purposes, Sanders said.
Community members and local residents voiced opposition to a pirate-themed dinner theatre attraction during a community meeting in April. The private project would have precluded the auditorium from public use, Faulconer said.
“People want this theater to be able to be used for their families, for children,” Faulconer said. “So our task is to find the right mix that will make that happen.”
Luce Auditorium is named for Stephen Bleeker Luce, who established the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., and served in the Navy for 69 years, according to a statement distributed during the meeting.
The building has been closed since 1997 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of the unique architecture and historical connection to San Diego, Sanders said.
The auditorium has hosted entertainment legends such as Bob Hope, Nat “King” Cole and Jack Benny, who entertained hundreds of thousands of Navy personnel and Point Lomans who filled the seats for movies, shows and ceremonies.
The NTC Foundation is overseeing the renovation of 26 buildings, including the auditorium, designated as historically significant at Liberty Station. The nonprofit organization has already completed renovations of six buildings now in use, Swanson said.
About 20 nonprofit organizations, including dance schools, arts, educational and youth leadership organizations call the NTC Promenade home.
For more information or to make a donation, visit www.ntcpromenade.org.