VIDEO | Refurbishing the Historic West Bend Theatre

March 15, 2020 – West Bend, WI – It’s a bit of a rough video of the interior remodel going on at the Historic West Bend Theatre in downtown West Bend. Quite an accomplishment when you consider there were plans in place to level the building, retain the facade and create an open-air park in the lot behind the building.

The theatre is rather lucky to be in this state; remember in December 2016 there was an effort to raze the theatre and make it an open-air park.

The facade on Main Street was going to be saved but the rest of the theatre would be razed.

David Stroik with Zimmerman Architectural Studios presented details on an open-air park that would be terraced to the riverwalk to the east.

A new graphic released by Stroik shows a view to the west. The blue and red canopy on top and on the wall a historic reminder of the theatre’s past.

The open-air venue offered numbers between $400,000 and $600,000 depending on bathroom amenities.

The rough estimation on restoring the theatre has started at $750,000 up to $2 million.

“Too much history to destroy” was the primary comment.