Venetian Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Venetian Hillsboro |
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Venetian Hillsboro, renovated in 2020, opened as a restaurant & venue. Now operates as a venue with multiple rentable spaces.
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| General information | |
| Status | Venetian Hillsboro | Venetian Ballroom | Venue |
| Town or city | Hillsboro, Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°31′22″N 122°59′14″W / 45.52278°N 122.98722°W |
| Construction started | 1925 |
| Completed | 1925 |
| Renovated | 2007–2008 | 2020-2021 |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Ralph Hill |
| Renovating firm | Partin and Hill Architects | NW Event Management Group, Inc. |
The Venetian Hillsboro is a special building in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon. It used to be a movie theater and a place for live shows. Since 2022, it has been a popular venue with different spaces you can rent for events.
This building has a long history. It started as a bank in 1888. Later, a mayor named Orange Phelps turned it into a theater. After many changes and renovations, it is now known as Venetian Hillsboro.
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A Look Back: The Building's History
The Venetian Hillsboro building has a fascinating past. It began its life in 1888 as the First National Bank of Hillsboro. It was a two-story building with a fancy style called Italianate architecture. This style often includes decorative details and a special roof line.
From Bank to Theater
In 1911, the bank moved to a new spot. A man named Orange Phelps bought the building. He turned it into a theater called The Grand Theater, which could seat 200 people. A few years later, in 1915, he made the theater bigger. It could then hold 500 people and was renamed the Liberty Theater.
Fires, Rebuilding, and New Names
The building faced some challenges over the years. In 1925, a fire damaged the theater. But Orange Phelps rebuilt it and gave it a new name: The Venetian. This was where the first movie with sound in Hillsboro, The Broadway Melody, was shown in 1929.
Phelps also started a tradition of hosting a free Christmas show for children every year. This tradition continued for many decades!
Another fire hit the building in 1956. Again, Phelps rebuilt it. It reopened in 1957 as the Town Theater, with over 800 seats. In 1961, the theater even hosted the premiere of the movie Ring of Fire, which was filmed nearby.
Orange Phelps owned the theater for a long time. In 1978, another company bought it, and then it was sold again in 1989 to Act III Theatres.
City Ownership and Renovation Plans
In 1996, Act III Theatres closed the theater. The city of Hillsboro bought the building for a small amount of money. The city had many ideas for what to do with the old theater. They even bought the building next door in 2001 to make more space for future plans.
For a while, the building was used for storage. There were even talks about tearing it down because renovating it seemed very expensive.
A New Beginning: The 2008 Reopening
In 2007, the city sold the building to a developer named Denzil Scheller. The city also helped with some money for the renovation. Scheller spent a lot of money to fix up the building. He made sure it met modern safety rules for fires, earthquakes, and access for people with disabilities.
The renovation involved a lot of work, including rebuilding the inside structure. Scheller decided to bring back the old name, The Venetian. The famous yellow sign of the Town Theater was removed.
The goal of reopening the theater was to help make downtown Hillsboro a lively place, especially after 5:00 p.m. The new The Venetian Theatre and Bistro officially opened in July 2008. It became a place for movies, live shows, and a restaurant. A theater company called Bag & Baggage Productions even became a regular group performing there.
Changes and Reopening in the 2020s
In 2017, the theater and restaurant closed because the owner planned to sell it. However, that sale didn't happen, and the building stayed closed for a while.
Then, in April 2020, a new buyer named John Lee purchased the building. He had exciting plans! He wanted to open a new restaurant and turn the old theater space into a large ballroom.
The new restaurant, named Venetian Hillsboro, opened in November 2020. Around that time, the theater seats were removed, and the space slowly began its transformation into a ballroom. The restaurant faced some challenges, opening and closing a few times due to COVID-19 rules. It also closed briefly after a fire in downtown Hillsboro in January 2022.
After a short reopening, the restaurant closed again in July 2022. The owner then decided to focus on making the building a venue with different spaces available to rent for private and public events.
What You'll Find There
The Venetian Hillsboro is located in downtown Hillsboro on Main Street. It's very close to the Hillsboro Central MAX light rail station, making it easy to get to.
The building is quite large. When it reopened in 2021, it featured a new restaurant. The former theater space was being changed into a ballroom. The building has a balcony that looks out over Main Street with windows that can open. Outside, you can see pretty decorative pots and red roof tiles.
The renovation of the building was a big part of making downtown Hillsboro a more exciting place. Today, Venetian Hillsboro is a popular spot for various events, continuing its long history as a community gathering place.
