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Silver Theatre restoration moves along
by Theodore Kim
The Gazette Staff Writer
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May 3, 2000

Despite some planning delays, the restoration of the downtown Silver
Theatre by the American Film Institute is set to begin within months,
signaling the start of many construction projects that will dominate
Silver Spring's central business district for the next several years.

While workers have already replaced the theater's dilapidated roof and
removed asbestos from the building, visible construction on both the
interior and exterior of the structure has yet to begin, officials said.

"What it will be is not what it was," said AFI Silver Theatre Director Ray
Barry, referring to the former building, as well as Silver Spring's
blossoming downtown area.

The theater, near the corner of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, will
house cutting-edge equipment, but retain its vintage art deco appearance,
Barry said.

Among the features of the renovated structure, which will cost $18 million
and be completed late next year, are:

*A refurbished, 400-seat main theater equipped with a state-of-the-art
sound system, as well as crystalline 70 mm and digital projection
capabilities.
*Two additional state-of-the-art theaters for smaller audiences.
*A regional office for AFI, including conference rooms and a screening
room. AFI is based in Southern California.
*A renovated lobby with café.

After nearly two years of design work, a final architectural layout for
the new structure is only weeks away from completion, Barry said.

"It's amazing, since there are so many interrelated aspects, millions of
parts going into the theater," said Barry, who has been heavily involved
in the project's design.

Once the theater opens, it will host a broad palette of workshops and
events, most notably an annual global documentary film festival
co-sponsored by AFI and media firm Discovery Communications.

"We almost want to put on a year-round festival," Barry said. "And we want
to make sure we're offering to everyone. We have to make sure we're not
just looking through our own lens."

The renovation of the theater comes as local officials prepare for a
handful major commercial construction projects this summer.

"We have nearly a billion dollars worth of construction going on in the
next several years in a very small area," said Lori Gillen, head of the
Silver Spring Regional Center.

Construction on both the Silver Theatre project, as well as Discovery's
new $150 million downtown headquarters, are slated to begin in late summer.

Several chain businesses, including Fresh Fields supermarket and
Strosniders Hardware, already have begun constructing new locations on
downtown Fenton Street. Both projects are scheduled to be completed this
summer, officials said.

In addition, three businesses -- T.G.I. Friday's, a chain restaurant;
Panera Bread, a bakery-cafe; and retailer Next Day Blinds -- will open new
locations in downtown Silver Spring, a private developer announced last
week.

A $4 million renovation of Fenton Street itself is also under way by
county officials. The project includes new streetlights, landscaping and
the addition of redbrick sidewalks.

Furthermore, state officials have targeted early July to begin preliminary
construction on the new $40 million Silver Spring Transit Center, which
will replace the current Metro station.

The center, which will be a nexus for local transportation, will be
finished in 2002.
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