In October 1962, a cyclone tore through Salem.It tipped over airplanes at McNary Field, knocked over trees at Willson Park and severed gas lines, according to the Willamette Heritage Center.In downtown Salem, the 90 mph winds broke the Elsinore Theatre’s historic blade sign, which spelled ELSINORE vertically up the length of the building. After the storm, it read NORE.In the aftermath, the theater was renovated and the sign was removed. It’s never been replaced.Tom Fohn, the theater’s executive director, wants it back in time for the theater’s 100th anniversary in 2026.  Over the next few years, he’s planning to renovate the Elsinore in two phases. The first, estimated to cost $1.5 million, would add a new, 23-foot-tall, illuminated blade sign, new marquees and an ornamental crown to the roof. The second phase, estimated to cost $5 million, would improve inside seating, sound equipment and accessibility.“It’s about beautification. It’s about history, it’s also about economics. If we improve our customer experience, more people are going to want to come,” Fohn said.Fohn believes the renovations, by lighting up downtown and drawing in people throughout the state, will have a positive impact on downtown’s hotels, restaurants and reputation.“We’re the living room of our community, and that stage is the heart of downtown. When it’s pumping, there’s blood flowing into it, a lot of people feel it downtown,” he said.The Elsinore Theatre opened as a silent film house in 1926. Its design, inspired by European castles, has a cathedral-like feel complete with stained glass in the lobby. Coverage of opening night in the Capital Journal said, “When the grandsons and granddaughters of those who are now infants in the cradle have graying hair, The Elsinore will still stand, immutable, imperishable, a thing of beauty and a joy forever,” according to a timeline from the Theatre. From left, the Elsinore Theatre the year it opened in 1926, in 1928 and in 1931. (Courtesy/ Elsinore Theatre) Approaching its 100th anniversary the theater still stands, though it nearly perished on several occasions.“It was going to be turned into a parking lot in the early 80s, because it was in such disrepair from vandalism and not being used,” said Sally Litchfield, the theater’s development director.To stave off demolition plans, a local group established a nonprofit in the 1980s They raised $130,000 to bring the building up to code and transform it into a performing arts venue. In the early 1990s the Elsinore hosted notable acts including Gregory Peck and Bonnie Raitt.After being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, a group in the early 2000s raised $3.4 million to fully restore the theater over three summers.“That has laid the foundation for us to be able to be successful now,” Litchfield said. “Nobody wants to come into a building that’s sad and on its way out. We just want to keep the momentum going.” From left, the Elsinore Theatre in 1962 after storm damage, in the 1970s and in 1980. (Courtesy/ Elsinore Theatre) Last year, the Elsinore hosted 114 shows that sold nearly 67,000 tickets. In recent months, it’s brought nationally recognized acts like Colin Jost and Stephen Curtis Chapman, while continuing regular community gatherings like free movies for adults with disabilities, and in past years hosting the annual Salem Tuba Holiday.The 1,250-seat theater is getting busier, said Fohn.“The shows that we’re getting, we never used to get in this little theater,” he said.As a result, more people are coming to Salem. According to the theater, 23% of their tickets last year were sold to people who lived more than 50 miles outside the city. Litchfield said that means more heads in beds paying hotel taxes that feed Salem’s cultural tourism fund.  “It’s good for Salem, in general, to have lights on. When something’s going on here, downtown is buzzing,” she said.Still, Fohn said that “you’d be surprised” at the number of times he’s run into people in Salem who have no idea that the Elsinore exists.“They go, ‘the one with the big marquee, across from the Capitol?’ Well, no. That’s The Grand, and it’s a great theater, but we’re the Elsinore. We’re where Colin Jost came,” he said.They believe that a fresh facade and historic signage will help share their offerings, and brighten downtown. Fohn is most excited about the proposal to add three marquees signs, replacing the current signage which he said is too small to be noticeable.Their hope is to make it digital, with plain lettering reminiscent of historic signage that won’t require Fohn or a staff member to climb a ladder to change them over 1,000 times a year. Getting digital signs will be difficult due to city sign code and their status as a historical place, which means proposed changes to the building will require city review.“I first told the board I wanted the old-fashioned kind, and my board said ‘Absolutely not, because we know you and you’ll be up there on a ladder, and you’ll fall,’” he said, and laughed. They also plan to return a crown to the roof of the building, which Fohn removed because it was unstable and he feared it would fall off. He said a lot of community members miss it, which came as a surprise to him.If all goes to plan, construction will begin next August. Fohn won’t be booking shows for that month. The plan is to finish the exterior phase by 2026.“That will be our 100th, and it feels like the perfect time,” Fohn said. From left, photos of the Elsniore Theatre in 2002 and 2024, and a rendering of the theater’s proposed renovation. (Courtesy/ Elsinore Theatre) Litchfield said that completing phase one will hopefully bring attention to fundraise for phase two, which will improve the auditorium by replacing its 50-year-old seats and aging sound system and improving accessibility. The plans are still being fined-tuned, but they’re also looking into options like being able to remove chairs and have a pit to accommodate more types of performances.“We are competing with Portland, Eugene, for people’s entertainment dollars. And they have expectations,” Litchfield said. “We need to make sure we can still compete and that people still want to come here, otherwise this beautiful, historic building will just decline over the next decades.”The theater has a strong financial foundation, Fohn said, a great improvement from a decade ago when it was around $20,000 in debt. Recently, the sump pumps went out, a $35,000 repair, and he was able to replace them.“Before I’d be like, ‘Oh God, I need a three-year payment plan.’ Now we just wrote a check,’” he said.But, in a 98-year-old building, more repairs will likely come. It’s part of why the theater is looking for community support for the beautification. Their plans have been endorsed on the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon’s shortlist for 2025-2027. The group will lobbies the state legislature for money from the state’s Cultural Resource Economic Fund. A project to repair Riverfront Park’s Eco-Earth sculpture recently secured money from the fund. They’ll be seeking $350,000 for the Elsinore.The Elsinore will also seek $100,000 from the city’s fund to replace missing historic features, which is funded through urban renewal dollars. So far, the theater has raised $200,000 in gifts and grants, and has additional pledges of support. They’ll be hosting a fundraising dinner on Oct. 17, which has tickets available online. There’s also a link to donate online. ”We certainly know there’s a lot of need in this town. And a lot of wonderful organizations doing great things for a lot of people, the important stuff,” Fohn said. “But this is important. This building’s important. It’s important to keep young people in town, to provide an entertainment center for people to come see a show.” Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Renovation planned to keep century-old Elsinore Theatre bringing in talent appeared first on Salem Reporter.