Languages
Pages
Legal
7/31/2015 UC Theatre receives $1.3 million grant to finish renovation | The Daily Californian
http://www.dailycal.org/2015/07/30/uc-theatre-receives-1-3-million-grant-finish-renovation/ 1/4
Thursday, July 30, 2015
BY MIRA CHAPLIN | STAFF LAST UPDATED 1 MIN AGO
CITY THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2015
RELATED POSTS
Oakland playwright alleges racisttreatment at Berkeley RepertoryTheatre
Oakland artist R. Blackinvigorates UC Theatre facadewith vibrant mural
New music venue constructionkicks off at UC Theatre
UC Theatre receives $1.3 million grant to finishrenovation
The UC Theatre announced Tuesday that it received a $1.3 millionmatching grant to finish its restoration and open in the fall.
The grant will match every dollar donated to the Berkeley MusicGroup — a nonprofit organization created to renovate andmanage the UC Theatre — to completely fund the $5.6 millionbudget of the project. The funds, awarded by TaubePhilanthropies, will be used to finish restructuring the inside ofthe theater and update the sound system.
The UC Theatre, which is unaffiliated with UC Berkeley, closed in2001 when a required seismic retrofit proved too expensive. UCBerkeley alumnus David Mayeri proposed to renovate the theaterin 2009 and went on to found the Berkeley Music Group.Construction began in the spring, and Mayeri said he hopes that itwill be completed by November.
Taube Philanthropies helped fund the Contemporary JewishMuseum in San Francisco, the Magnes Collection of Jewish Artand Life in Berkeley, and UC Berkeley’s International House.
“Matching grants create incentive, more attention and legitimacyfor a project,” said Shana Penn, executive director of TaubePhilanthropies. Penn hopes that the UC Theatre can use theorganization’s name to raise funds from other sources.
The theater space will be renamed the Taube Family Music Hall atthe UC Theatre, and the lobby will be named the Shana PennLobby, in honor of Penn.
According to Penn, the foundation usually supports projects inSan Francisco and the peninsula but supported the theaterbecause the foundation believes it will help “revitalize” theDowntown Berkeley area.
“(The UC Theatre will) bring in people who are really drawn tomusic of all kinds from all over the Bay Area,” Penn said.
According to Michael Caplan, the city’s economic development manager, “a lit-up theater marquee isalmost a beacon,” and businesses such as the UC Theatre draw people to the city, even if they aren’tplanning to see a show.
“The district becomes associated in people’s mind as a cultural district,” Caplan said.
UCUC payroll data show lack oftop-paid women, lag behindmarket rates
CITY7 East Bay cities, excludingBerkeley, receive more than$28 million in affordablehousing grants
CITY
CITYCommunity members rallyagainst book weeding atBerkeley Public Library’scentral branch
Berkeley resident files petition to preventAT&T antenna system construction
NEWSNews Sports Arts Opinion Blogs Multimedia Weekender Featured ABOUTDONATEAPPLYCLASSIFIEDS
ADVERTISEPRESS PASS
2
Like
2
Tweet Comment
0
14 friends like this
The Daily Californian26,992 likes
Like Page Watch Video
MOST POPULAR MOST RECENT
ASUC CAMPUS CITY CRIME & COURTS RESEARCH & IDEAS UC OBITUARIES NOTES FROM THE FIELD
ADVERTISEMENT
7/31/2015 UC Theatre receives $1.3 million grant to finish renovation | The Daily Californian
http://www.dailycal.org/2015/07/30/uc-theatre-receives-1-3-million-grant-finish-renovation/ 2/4
The theater will fit 1,400 people in concert, and the flat-tiered floors can be used for banquet seatingor lecture seating, making it a unique size and type of building in the East Bay, according to Mayeri.
The theater will mostly host rock concerts and will also include comedy shows, operas, choirs andsymphonies. The venue will likely host its first concerts in the fall and will have an official openingceremony sometime in 2016.
But some local business owners expressed concerns about the effect of the construction process ontheir customers.
Tsering Choedup, co-owner of Cafe Tibet, a restaurant a few doors down from the theater, said thatfor the past four to five months, the construction has involved “a lot of noises” as well as “heaps ofpebbles, rocks and sand,” which have both affected customers and passersby, he said.
In the long run, however, Choedup said he is optimistic that the theater will bring people to the areaand possibly expand his customer base.
Contact Mira Chaplin at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @mirachaplin.
Please keep our community civil. Comments should remain on topic and be respectful.Read our full comment policy
CITYGourmet Ghetto restaurantSource Mini closes doors
COLUMNSThe first time I stoppedreading
7/31/2015 UC Theatre receives $1.3 million grant to finish renovation | The Daily Californian
http://www.dailycal.org/2015/07/30/uc-theatre-receives-1-3-million-grant-finish-renovation/ 3/4
RELATED NEWSNew music venue construction kicks off atUC Theatre
MOST RECENT NEWSCalSO incorporates former student-athleteorientation program
MYSNORINGSOLUTION • SPONSORED
Are You Snoring Yourself to Death?
Snoring is the most common symptom of a potentially serious healthproblem - obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
Learn More
Community members rally against bookweeding at Berkeley Public … 1 comment
‘True Detective’ 2×05: ‘Other Lives’3 comments
Plan for 2nd UC student regent strives forundergraduate, graduate … 1 comment
UC payroll data show lack of top-paidwomen, lag behind market rates 9 comments
AROUND THE WEB
ALSO ON THE DAILY CALIFORNIAN
�
0 Comments The Daily Californian Login1
Share⤤ Sort by Best
Start the discussion…
Be the first to comment.
WHAT'S THIS?
$60 Dress Shoes AtJackThreads
JackThreads
Longest Non-Stop Flights in theWorld [SlideShow]
ALOT Travel
Taylor Swift's Outfits LeavesYou To Your Imagination
Livingly
Greece Sheds Light OnShocking State Of US Dollar
Bonner & Partners
Subscribe✉ Add Disqus to your sited Privacy�
Recommend
Berkeley Music Group, Cafe Tibet, Contemporary Jewish Museum, David Mayeri, International House, MagnesCollection of Jewish Art and Life, Michael Caplan, Shana Penn, Taube Philanthropies, Tsering Choedup, UCTheatre
7/31/2015 UC Theatre receives $1.3 million grant to finish renovation | The Daily Californian
http://www.dailycal.org/2015/07/30/uc-theatre-receives-1-3-million-grant-finish-renovation/ 4/4
Bankruptcy Attorneys >Buy Peptides >Buy Melanotan
NEWSASUCCampusCityCrime & CourtsResearch &IdeasUCNotes from theFieldElection 2014
Men’sBaseballBasketballCrewCross CountryFootballGolfGymnasticsRugbySoccerSwimTennisWater PoloFootball
Women’sBasketballCrewField HockeyGolfGymnasticsLacrosseSoftballSoccerSwimTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWater Polo
SPORTS A&EColumnsFilm &TelevisionLiteratureMusicTheaterVisual ArtComedy
OPINIONEditorialsOp-EdsLetters to theEditorColumnsEditorialCartoonsThe SoapboxSex on Tuesday
MULTIMEDIAArtsGraphicsNewsOpinionSports
FEATUREDEditor’s PicksAwardsSpecial IssuesThe WeekenderGamedayBest of BerkeleyDaily Cal ArchiveEditors’
BLOGSThe Daily ClogA&EStrikeoutPhoto tumblrTravelBear Bytes
DONATEWE'RE AN INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN NEWSROOM. MAKE A DONATION TO SUPPORT OUR COVERAGE.
Oakland artist R. Black invigorates UCTheatre facade with vibrant muralCity Zoning Adjustments Board discussesnew development project at 2211 HaroldWay
UC payroll data show lack of top-paidwomen, lag behind market rates7 East Bay cities, excluding Berkeley, receivemore than $28 million in affordable housinggrantsBerkeley resident files petition to preventAT&T antenna system constructionGourmet Ghetto restaurant Source Minicloses doors
ADVERTISING
Copyright © 2015 The Daily Californian, The Independent Berkeley Student Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Mobile site.
► UC Berkeley► Grants► Theatre
500 Business Cards -$9.99Plus 25% off Business Card Holders. Vistaprint.com
► Cafe Theatre► Theatre Arts► City Theatre
Top Related