Historic Theaters Initiative

The New Mexico Historic Theaters Initiative is part of an ongoing statewide effort led by the New Mexico Economic Development Department and New Mexico MainStreet to rehabilitate historic theaters and install new digital projection and sound equipment to prevent them from “going dark.”

Nationwide, many small town theaters have closed their doors because of the high cost of digital projection equipment. Besides the loss of a business anchor in downtown districts, the loss of an entertainment venue has negative impacts on quality of life, retail leakage and community morale.

The New Mexico Economic Development Department recognized the potential negative impact and challenged New Mexico MainStreet and the Finance Development Team to develop a unique partnership to restore historic theaters and reinvest in the new digital media upgrades. Working with municipal partners, the department used the state’s Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) and other programs to restore these treasures from the golden age of movies. Other contributors to the initiative are the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division (HPD) and the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning.

Beginning in January 2013, the New Mexico Economic Development Department and New Mexico MainStreet have awarded funding to publicly-owned historic theaters located in affiliated MainStreet districts in the form of Capital Outlay and LEDA, as well as provided New Mexico MainStreet professional technical assistance to eleven theaters:

Each historic theater has been identified as a catalytic economic driver for their respective community.

New Mexico MainStreet also provides technical assistance to affiliated districts to assess their theaters, develop architectural plans and cost estimates for rehabilitation projects, advice on operations and business plans, programming and industry contacts, and in the past have hosted a New Mexico MainStreet Historic Theaters Institutes.

Historic Theater Institutes help communities and theater operators breathe new life into aging stages and auditoriums. Institutes feature workshops on new trends in cinema; digital conversion; fostering local community theater programs; and innovative operating strategies, including fundraising and programming for the cinema and theater business.

Historic Theaters Initiative Timeline:

FY2013:

Clayton MainStreet – Luna Theatre
$150,000 Capital Outlay Award
Silver City MainStreet – Silco Theater
$175,000 Capital Outlay Award

FY2014:

Clayton MainStreet – Luna Theatre
$100,000 LEDA Award
Clovis MainStreet – Lyceum Theater
$137,500 Capital Outlay Award
Silver City MainStreet – Silco Theater
$137,500 Capital Outlay Award

FY2015:

Total of $600,000 in LEDA Awards:
- Clovis MainStreet – Lyceum Theater
- Lovington MainStreet – Lea Theater
- Silver City MainStreet – Silco Theater
- Gallup MainStreet – El Morro Theater
- Raton MainStreet – Shuler Theater

FY2017:

Alamogordo MainStreet – Flickinger Center for the Performing Arts
$113,436 LEDA Award
Tucumcari MainStreet – Odeon Theater
$50,000 LEDA Award

FY2021:

Historic Downtown Farmington – Totah Theater
$135,000 Capital Outlay Award

FY2022:

Silver City MainStreet – Silco Theater
$125,000 Capital Outlay Award

FY2023:

Carlsbad MainStreet – Cavern Theater
$350,000 Capital Outlay Award

FY2024:

Clovis MainStreet – Lyceum Theater
$500,000 Capital Outlay Award
Lovington MainStreet – Lea Theater
$400,000 Capital Outlay Award

For more information, contact New Mexico MainStreet’s Director:
Daniel Gutierrez
(505) 629-5270 or Daniel.Gutierrez2@edd.nm.gov.