Tampa Theatre Gets $30M Rehab

Designed by famed architect John Eberson, the Tampa Theatre opened in 1926 as one of America's most elaborate movie palaces. It was the first commercial building in Tampa to feature air conditioning, offering an escape into an opulent Mediterranean courtyard under a ceiling of twinkling stars for just 25 cents. The theatre was designed in an "atmospheric" style, meant to transport audiences to a romantic, starlit fantasyland. The current $30 million project is part of the "Second Century Campaign," aiming for a full restoration by the theatre's 100th anniversary in October 2026. The historic Duncan Auditorium will close from March through September for significant infrastructure upgrades, including replacing components of the 1926 air conditioning system, and restoration of its ornate paint and plaster. This renovation, handled by Creative Contractors with design from DLR Group, includes modernizing the stage with a new truss system, upgrading lighting and audiovisual equipment, and refreshing the exterior signage. The project will also add a new two-story education wing with classrooms and archive space, created from underutilized areas. Funding for the ambitious project is a mix of public and private support. The Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency has approved $14 million, and significant contributions have come from entities like Bank of America and other community leaders. While the main 1,252-seat auditorium is closed, films and events will continue in the John T. Taylor Screening Room, an intimate 43-seat microcinema that opened in June 2024. A centerpiece of the theatre is the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, a 1,400-pipe instrument originally installed to accompany silent films. After the advent of "talkies," it was sold to a local church before volunteers from the Central Florida Theatre Organ Society helped reacquire and reinstall it in the 1980s. Today, the expanded organ is played before most film screenings.