A partnership between nonprofits NTC Foundation and Cygnet Theatre will renovate historic Naval Building 178 at Arts District Liberty Station for adaptive reuse, transforming it into The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center.
Expected to take two years to complete, the estimated $38.9 million project will break ground in spring 2023 with an opening planned for late 2024. Naval Building 178 enhancements are to include an open-air lobby, two elegant bars, three landscaped patios, ample restrooms, ADA-accessible seating and parking, and an updated HVAC system.
The center will also feature custom support spaces such as dressing rooms, two green rooms, a costume shop, and a dedicated rehearsal and orchestra space. An art gallery will also occupy the lower lobby space showcasing local artists.
The world-class Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center will be the first live performance building at Arts District Liberty Station and a contemporary, permanent home for San Diego’s third-largest theater company, Cygnet Theatre.
“Building 178 is a cornerstone of the Arts District and as it transforms into The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center – and home of Cygnet Theatre – it will be a true anchor tenant for our campus and community,” said Lisa Johnson, NTC Foundation president/CEO. “Our collaboration with Cygnet is an ideal partnership, as our organizations have blended seamlessly on this milestone project that will bring a highly-anticipated, one-of-a-kind venue to our city. None of this would be possible without our generous donors who helped bring this project to life, and we can’t wait to witness the plethora of arts and culture opportunities this venue will offer San Diego.”
“This partnership is the exciting natural progression in Cygnet Theatre’s steady growth since our founding 20 years ago,” said Cygnet Theatre’s artistic director, Sean Murray. “This new location will not only cement Cygnet’s long-term sustainability as a San Diego institution but will fill an important need for a flagship theatre destination and live performance venue in Liberty Station. We are so thrilled to be able to bring Cygnet’s high-quality contemporary programming to this already vibrant arts destination.
“In addition to being Cygnet Theatre’s new home, we are looking forward to opening our doors to other community performing arts organizations as an accessible space,” added Murray. “On top of all of this, we are deeply grateful to our donors and supporters who have recognized the incredible economic and cultural impact this project will bring to the region.”
Cygnet and NTC Foundation have privately raised 77.1% of the project’s total cost, relying solely on philanthropic contributions from the community for the remainder.
In 2017, NTC Foundation conducted a study that confirmed the City’s need for a performing arts center to serve smaller community arts groups. After a study determined Building 178 as the best-suited building owned by NTC Foundation, NTC Foundation and Cygnet Theatre partnered to create a unique nonprofit partnership to fund and refurbish Building 178.
Building 178’s redesign proposes to remove boarded-up archways and re-establish the existing enclosed arcades and colonnades, restoring existing windows and doors that were previously boarded and enclosed. The exterior of the building will be repainted to align with Liberty Station’s historic fabric. The project will also demolish and reconstruct the northern portion of the building entirely (excluding the arcade), restoring to its original design, to allow for expansion of the basement floor level where a new main stage of the theater will be constructed.
Throughout both re-created theater spaces, acoustical elements will be in place for optimal sound quality and amplification, as well as noise mitigation elements. State-of-the-art paneling in both theaters will create optimal sound. The proscenium theater will house a separate orchestra chamber and an amplification system for musical performances.
Noise mitigation efforts will include thicker walls and a specially constructed roof that will minimize noise from airplane flyovers, as well as a theater design that provides separation from exterior noise. Additional interior systems that will prevent disturbances include noiseless doorknobs, rubber gaskets on doors, and HVAC system shock absorbers.
Additionally, the new performing arts center will provide jobs and training programs, encourage increased partnerships with under-resourced communities throughout the region and bring 50,000 theater attendees each year to patronize nearby businesses.
The existing Building 178 has been vacant for more than 25 years since the Navy ceased operations. While in operation, the building was remodeled several times since its original construction in 1942, including building additions.
Originally a recreation building, the basement level once housed a bowling alley and the first and second floors were home to a commissary, billiards, and dance clubs. The building has always served as a “hub” for gathering and activity, and this project will return this space to its original glory, as well as enhance and enliven the space for theatrical art.
THE JOAN AND IRWIN JACOBS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Components: The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center will include two state-of-the-art theaters – one 289-seat proscenium theater, and one 150-seat flexible studio. Both theaters will feature flexible seating to accommodate different audience sizes and production needs, as well as advanced features that will mitigate noise from the lobby and plane flyover.
Location: The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center will occupy historic Naval Building 178 at Arts District Liberty Station on a 66,640-square-foot lot along Roosevelt Road between Truxton and Historic Decatur roads.
Theater planning, design: Fisher, Dachs & Associates.
Acoustics: Threshold Acoustics.
Architect: OBR Architecture.
Project, construction manager: Boretto & Merrill Consulting.
General contractor: Cannon Constructors.
Fundraising consultant: Netzel Grigsby Associates
