By Shawn Magrath
Sun Staff Writer
smagrath@evesun.com
NORWICH – It seems that the closing of the Colonia Theater in downtown Norwich will be for only a brief moment. The building now has a new owner and plans are in the works to keep movie reels rolling and the iconic marquee lit.
Norwich resident Todd Barnes closed on the Colonia Theater building last week with the intent of renovating the building’s interior and reopening doors to moviegoers sometime in the near future. In the process, Barnes will be working with his brother, electrician and the former owner of the business, Rich Barnes.
Earlier this month, Rich Barnes and his daughter, Colonia General Manager Jeanie Barnes, were forced to shut the lights off at the Broad Street movie house, citing demands of the movie industry to upgrade their equipment to play digital copies of movies – a move that would cost the business nearly $150,000. There are benefits to playing digital, Rich explained. Digital movies come with better sound, better picture, and it permits movie theaters, including the Colonia, to show movies as soon as they’re released. Regardless, the cost to upgrade posed a threat to small theaters nationwide. Many like the Colonia closed for the same reasons: cost was too high and the fiscal resources weren’t available.
Rich and Jeanie had rented space in the building from an absentee building owner who, according to Rich, had been reluctant in allowing even minor renovations to the 99-year-old building. Now in the hands of two local owners who footed the $200,000 purchase price, the interior of the building will receive a complete overhaul. Renovations include, among other things, a redesigned lobby, repairs to the two screening areas, and current plans are to painstakingly restore the theater’s balcony that has been closed off for decades. When the theater reopens, Rich said he will take the reins again as the business owner.
“Before, we had to work with an absentee (building) owner,” said Todd Barnes. “Now, it belongs to members of the Norwich community. We want to see a historical downtown and keep this building in good preservation.”
While the building has officially changed hands, there are still towering obstacles that stand in the way of the first showing, noted Todd Barnes. The two still need to attain funding for digital equipment and pending renovations. Moreover, there are two vacant retail spaces in the back of the building they hope to fill soon. Currently, they’re working with local funding sources to attain money needed for the technology upgrades. “Those sources have been very supportive of us,” Todd noted. “At this time, we aren’t sure when we can reopen, but we are taking the first steps.”
Todd and Rich are collaborating with the nearby Hamilton Theater for advice. Like the Colonia, the Hamilton Theater was forced to upgrade and has only recently made the transition to digital. Their experience is helpful to successfully do the same in Norwich, said Todd.
“Now that we own the building, we can start moving forward,” said Rich Barnes. He added that plans are to keep the old-style theater theme that’s made the Colonia unique over the years. And as for the iconic marquee, he said they will keep it as it is, lighting up North Broad Street. “We want to get started on the work so we can open this back up for the community,” he said.
Unfortunately, work may be ongoing for a while, Todd Barnes explained. Perhaps the biggest challenge comes with restoring the balcony, now used for minor storage with a vast amount of empty, wasted space. The decorated arch spanning the front wall of the empty room is a reminder of the stage still there, hidden beneath rows of steel beams and heating ducts installed during major renovations decades prior. “Right now, plans are up in the air,” Todd said, but he and Rich are pitching ideas to put in a possible third screen and even exploring the probability of serving food in the balcony area.
Opening the balcony would also mean installing an elevator to make the building handicap accessible. A space has already been designated for an elevator, said Rich, and plans are to keep moving forward with the project.
“It’s not something that’s going to happen overnight,” Todd assured, “but we have done our homework before we stepped into it. We want to bring the theater back to its full potential.”