South Pittsburg determined to finish theater revamp

By Ryan Lewis

Correspondent

SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — Restoration work to the historic Princess Theatre here has new life after city administrators approved a $475,000 capital outlay note.

The town’s historical society started the reclamation venture in 1999, but it had to give up control to the city after several cost overruns and lack of funding.

At the City Commission’s August meeting, which included city officials, contractors and organizers of the National Cornbread Festival, South Pittsburg Mayor Mike Killian estimated completion of the project was six to eight months away.

“A certain amount of excitement was building at the table that we at long last might have reached the time when we might see the theater open,” he said.

The cornbread festival has donated about $105,000 to the project over the years and recently pledged $50,000 more to help complete it, officials said.

They said the loan should be more than enough to finish the work, the price tag for which they expect to come in at under $400,000.

“I think we want to make sure that we’ve got enough to cover it,” Commissioner Charles Reynolds said. “We don’t want to run out of money on this again.”

Originally, the South Pittsburg Historical Society received a grant for $352,000 to renovate the historic theater, which had fallen into disrepair over the past 30 years.

But the society found itself $35,000 over budget. It was able to cover $17,000 of that, and now has four years to repay the remaining $18,000 to the city.

Reynolds said change orders — extra money to cover overruns, unforeseen problems and other construction — have pushed up costs. The city hopes to avoid them over the next year.

“If everybody’s got their ducks in a row, there won’t be any change orders,” he said.

City Utilities Manager Donald Blansett said the city is working with solid numbers now.

“I think everyone involved understands that, once we’ve got the numbers, we can’t vary very much beyond that,” he said.

Killian said the current theater plan does not include stage lights, curtains, a sound system or projector, but the National Cornbread Festival’s donation easily should cover those items.

Other than that, Killian said he thinks all the bases have been covered this time.

“We have tried our best to include everything possible in this plan so we won’t be in the same situation the historical society found itself in,” he said. “I feel like we are there and have included everything.”

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.