Renovations, additions intended to help surrounding businesses as well

By Mike Desmond
(Image above: Shea’s 710 Theatre planned new look)

Shea’s President and CEO Brian Higgins says attending an event at the 100-year old
“Wonder Theater” is a great experience and with 17,000 season tickets for the Mainstage series, many agree.

But there are problems, some serious. The planned $50 million “Elevate Shea’s” fund drive is supposed to deal with many problems, while continuing the overall expansion of the theater campus on Main Street.

The drive:

• $30 million for a new wing to solve problems from the audience crowding, the endless shortage of bathrooms and accessibility issues for an aging theater audience.
• $5 million for the reimagining of the Shea’s 710 Theatre, which is being renovated and altered to house MusicalFare Theatre, with that theater company moving from the Daemen University campus. Work is slated to be completed in September.
• $5 million to improve the look of the neighborhood from its current state of a lot of concrete.
• $5 million to expand the Shea’s endowment.
• $5 million to replace the roof on the century-old theater.

The Shea’s president and CEO says about half of the money has been committed: ”We’ll take small contributions, large contributions and, obviously, like the seat-naming is a novelty that people like. They can do it fairly modestly.

“At the same time, there will be knocks on government, business and residential doors looking for money.”

Or, as Higgins, described it, “Less inspiration than it is perspiration.”

Many of the projects are interlinked.

Higgins wants to attract more people to support the business base of bars and restaurants.

He admits business for them can be up and down, demonstrated by closed doors on nights when Shea’s is empty.

“We would like to keep all of these bars and restaurants open more traditional business hours. And, the only way you do that is to create pedestrian density and the only way you do that is to activate those venues more so that people have a reason to come down,” the Shea’s leader said.

He has said more residential housing might be in the future and probably work on the Shea’s Smith Theatre, offering more customer possibilities.

Not all local theaters have returned to the number of shows put on stage before COVID and that cuts into foot traffic.

At the same time, technology can make the venues more visible, including lights and such.

The Alleyway Theatre, semi-surrounded by branches of Shea’s, has just put up a large sign on Main Street so customers can find the actual main entrance … down an alley.

Higgins says major improvements to that alley are included in the streetscape plan.

The big trophy of “Elevate Shea’s” is the new building to go on the footprint of a long-gone bowling alley on Pearl Street, located on the opposite side of the theater wall from the main lobby.

Construction is slated to start late this year and be done by Curtain Up! 2027.

Late in the project, access doors will be cut through the wall to connect the new building’s floors to the theater first and second floor lobbies, to avoid any conflict between construction and events in the meantime.

The project is coming from Carmina Wood Design.

Interior designer Todd Piotrowski says the new building will solve many problems of the current landmark.

“The patron-focused design provides new lounges, restroom facilities and three elevators to create a more enjoyable, efficient and, most importantly, accessible theater-going experience for everyone,” said Piotrowski.

Currently, even getting into the building can be complicated.

If a customer has any serious mobility issues, neither the Main Street nor Pearl Street doors are easy to use.

Carmina Architect Bradley Everdyke says the essentially blank side wall of the theater will be replaced with limestone panels, stainless steel and aluminum finishes and lots of glass reflecting the building’s history.

Added to that, Everdyke says the customers on the Pearl Street side will have a monumental arrival, “A seamless, inclusive journey, guided by universal accessibility and hospitality, a heated pedestrian path and a covered, accessible drop-off loop at the exterior provide comfort and ease of access in all seasons.”

Broadway season producer Albert Nocciolino says the current building is a legacy from the past which must be maintained for the future.

“Every Broadway show in America wants to come to Shea’s Buffalo and when they come here, we fill the theater. We provide an enormous economic impact for Downtown Buffalo. And, with that, our patrons in Western New York have not only put their arms around it, they’ve taken ownership.

Nocciolino went on, “They don’t say ‘I’m going to “Back to the Future.”‘ They don’t say ‘I’m going to see “Wicked.”‘ They say ‘I’m going to Shea’s.’”