CITY COUNCIL TO GET SIMON THEATER UPDATE
The Brenham City Council is ready to get an update on the Simon Theater project during a morning workshop Thursday at city hall.
The workshop will convene at eight in the morning to hear a presentation, update and have a discussion regarding the Simon Theater project. The council will be getting a status update and learn about the future operations and ownership of the facility.
The Brenham Main Street Historical Society was formed six years ago to find historical properties in the city and work toward preserving them. The society went looking for a buyer but could not find one so they purchase it themselves. They had big plans but only some of them have been fulfilled. Four years ago the Convention and Visitors Bureau moved its visitors center to the one-time lobby of the theater but there are plans to turn the upstairs into a ballroom, and perhaps make the theater a place for meetings, conventions and even the showcase of classic movies.
The Simon Theater was Brenham’s premier movie theater from the silent movie days in 1926 until it closed in 1984.
The total budget for the full restoration was estimated to be $5.8 million. The funding is coming from both public and private sources.
After the Simon Theater discussions the City Council will go into regular session. They will take up the refunding of bonds and take up a request from the Juneteenth Historical Association to celebrate ‘Texas Emancipation Day on June 13th. They will need a noise ordinance variance for June 13th and 14th for the celebrations.