Howard Theatre Renovation Begins with Groundbreaking
Photos on Flickr: Click on the image for photos of Thursday’s Howard Theater groundbreaking ceremony. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Check out the photos on Flickr from the groundbreaking ceremony on September 2 at The Howard Theatre.
Thursday was another groundbreaking day for another project in Shaw. It was celebration time in Shaw at the doors of the the historic Howard Theatre. After years of delays, the celebratory crowd at 620 T Street NW included Mayor Adrian Fenty, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward) and At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown.
It will take an estimated $28 million to fully renovate and endow The Howard Theatre. The DC Government has already contributed $8 million. The developer of the project is Ellis Development Group.
A mixed-use entertainment venue is planned with the centerpiece being a 600-person hall used primarily for live music events. In its development plan, Ellis says that the restored theater will be “Symbiotic but not competitive with the other stars in the constellation of Washington theatres, venues such as its sister stage, The Lincoln Theatre” (1215 U Street NW). Ellis will also be developing the adjacent United Negro College Fund project at 7th and S, above the Shaw-Howard University Metro station.
