Additional reporting by Kristen Hackbarth

Improvements to the Lear Theater’s exterior will continue as planned following approval of temporary fencing by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) on Oct. 4. Reno City Council members on Wednesday were set to discuss the potential reallocation of ARPA funds previously allocated to the theater based on earlier improvement denials by SHPO, but ultimately decided to keep the money where it is.

City staff, concerned that SHPO approvals for the Lear Theater projects would not come before ARPA funding expired, suggested council members consider redirecting about $850,000 earmarked for the historic theater toward other projects. Their recommendations included $300,000 for downtown trash cans — something Mayor Hillary Schieve complained about during the Sept. 25 council meeting—$200,000 for a parks district consultant, $250,000 for a payroll systems consultant and $98,337 for Smart Technology Applications.

Projects supported with ARPA funds must be under contract by Dec. 31, or the money reverts back to the federal government.

The council previously allocated $1 million in ARPA funds to the Lear Theater for repairs and improvements, including landscaping and security. They also proposed a temporary perimeter fence and gates made of wrought iron to secure the property.

The Lear property has preservation covenants through 2060, thanks to federal funding from the Historic Preservation Fund under past ownership. This means any visual or structural changes need SHPO’s approval.

SHPO denied the request for the wrought iron fence, saying that, because it would be anchored to the ground, it wouldn’t be temporary and would “substantially alter the setting of the Lear Theater,” diminishing the property’s historic character.

The property continues to be vandalized and burgled.

The proposed fence would be six-foot-high removable panels of wrought iron fencing with decorative, pointed finials, similar to a shorter fence at a neighboring property. SHPO called the proposed fencing a “fortress-like … with spears every four inches.” 

Assistant City Manager Ashley Turney said a team from the city was able to meet with SHPO and the Commission for Cultural Centers and Historic Preservation to discuss the fencing on Oct. 4, but not before the materials for Wednesday’s meeting were due. During that meeting, city staff detailed the fence and the city’s plans for the building in detail to commissioners.

Commissioners approved the temporary wrought iron fencing with a requirement that it be removed within eight years and that the city provides annual check-ins with SHPO on restoration progress.

Fence intended for protection

Council member Jenny Brekhus expressed skepticism about the original funding allocation, noting that the city has yet to decide what it’s going to use the building for. “We’re going to do landscaping on a building that’s going to need it all ripped up when you redo it?” she said. “The wrought iron was just so obviously not something SHPO was going to approve because it’s not consistent with the building.”

Brekhus said she hasn’t had the chance to tour the building since the city took it over, but has been assured by staff that it’s not “threatened” at the moment.

“I want to see the Historic Resources Commission draft and know what the building really needs,” Brekhus said. “I wish staff had come forward with some general ideas for the building if SHPO doesn’t approve, rather than focusing on the parks consultant or more trash cans.”

The city’s arts and culture manager, Megan Berner, during the meeting with SHPO and the preservation commission, said the need for stronger and more attractive but still temporary fencing was to protect the Lear Theater from damage—something that’s already occurred. 

A six-foot-high chain link construction fence was put in place around the building in 2016 after city staff said evidence of a campfire was found near the east side of the building. Berner said additional vandalism and break-ins had resulted in some broken windows and damage inside the building as well. 

“Since that fence was erected people have still been breaking into the building,” Berner said, noting that it gets cut often and can be easily climbed. “There was a fire inside the building. Some folks got into the building and started a fire to keep warm and it got out of control and did damage to the interior of the building.” 

Berner said the fence was selected to minimize the impact to the view of the building and match others in the neighborhood, but added, “We believe that it’s necessary for the security of the building. We don’t want to see the building burnt down or the historic fabric of it destroyed.” 

In addition to better securing the building, Berner added that based on the city’s own code the existing construction fencing would be considered blight. However in the interim, city code requires buildings that are vacant to be fenced.

Mayor Hillary Schieve said she wants to put out RFPs to “find someone who wants to put love” into the building. “We’ve got to get it activated in some capacity, inside or out,” she said. “But you’ve got to have someone in there watching over it.”

Schieve said the property is the worst-looking on the street, calling it “totally unacceptable.”

She asked what makes the proposed fence temporary. Turney said the fence posts wouldn’t be embedded in the ground, but would be placed into in-ground sleeves and pinned in place. Once the building is activated, the fence will be removed and sold, Turney said. 

‘A huge undertaking’

Council member Devon Reese called the Lear Theater “an important cultural touchstone,” noting that it was designed by Paul Revere Williams, one of the first African American architects to join the American Institute of Architects. Reese suggested renaming the theater after Williams.

The building was renamed the Lear Theater in 1999 after philanthropist Moya Lear donated $1 million to kickstart the process of transforming the former church into a community theater.

He said the eventual report will likely show that it will be costly to “bring it to any useful use in our lifetime.” 

“I don’t want to see everything on the list done now, but I do support the fence for sure and some short-term landscaping improvements,” Reese said. “Then, we should reallocate the remaining funds according to other priorities on your list.”

He said he doubted that the city could find a partner willing to invest millions of dollars in the property, warning it could become a “sinkhole.” He said the city may need to ask the state for help with funding.

Council member Meghan Ebert, who said she toured the building, described the state of the interior as “shocking.” “It’s going to take so much to fix it,” she said. “We have so many projects we want to do, but funding is limited.”

Ebert said the building deserves to be “brought up to its original glory,” but questioned whether the city can handle the restoration. She said the building has been called the “Jumanji building” because vines and plants are growing inside, and there is water damage and other major issues.

“It’s not like it needs just a coat of paint and a new roof,” she said. “It’s a huge undertaking.” 

In the year-and-a-half since the city took over the property, Turney said they’ve spent $23,000 on maintenance and vandalism repairs in addition to $12,000 per year for rental of the construction fencing. The building has been without water, power or sewer service for 22 years.

Ebert said she felt it was important to call out that the city didn’t allow the building to get to its current state, but now has the responsibility to prevent further damage.

Mayor Schieve said she fought hard to bring the building under city ownership because of its historical significance. She warned that future councils might be pressured to sell it to a private entity. “Don’t do it,” she said. “You could give them an incredible lease for a dollar a year … but keep it under city ownership, so one day this community can have a piece of true history.”

Council member Naomi Duerr agreed, saying the city has a role in historic preservation. 

“Year after year, our history is being torn down in support of the new,” she said. “This is one of our very few buildings on the National Register. It’s incredibly important to a huge portion of our community.”

Duerr expressed surprise that reallocating the funds was even on the table. “We absolutely need to spend everything on this list,” she said. “Staff only picked things important to the structural integrity. Whoever takes it on, we’ll still need to do the front porch and the steps.”

She added that if these exterior projects get completed the city can at least lease out the outdoor space next summer, and in the future potentially host weddings and other events.

In the end, the council decided to keep the funding allocated to the Lear Theater. However, they agreed that funding more downtown trash cans was also important and asked for an agenda item at the next meeting to allocate $300,000 for that purpose.