TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Fox Theatre has been entertaining Tucson for 95 years.
Now, with a new city-sanctioned expansion of the venue approved, which is adding a new studio theater, bigger lobbies, and ADA accessibility, Fox hopes this will let them keep entertaining Tucson for years to come.
Fox Theatre Executive Director Bonnie Schock says this expansion is adding on to what is already a long legacy.
"The Fox is one of the best-known physical spaces in Tucson," Schock says. "It’s iconic. People recognize it, and for that reason, it carries memories for people, experiences, special moments."
However, Schock says that with a building that’s been around for almost a century, there are some updates that need to be made.
"The Fox was built in 1930 in a very different world," Schock continues. "There are now different sets of expectations about how we come together in public space. The kinds of needs that people have now and expectations that people have for those public spaces, just even the square footage in our lobby, which currently is inadequate for the number of people who come here, need to be addressed."
That’s where the expansion project comes in.
In a meeting on Oct. 21st, Mayor Regina Romero and the Tucson city council gave Fox permission to tear down stores near the theater on 27 N. Stone Ave, and build new sections in their place.
"So, having an elevator so that we can help support people at every phase in their life and journey to experience this space, all of those things we need to adapt in order to make sure that this space stays sustainable and relevant in the world today."
Schock says the project should be finished in 2030, the Fox Theatre's 100th anniversary.
She says it will come equipped with a 300-seat studio theater, bigger lobbies, and concessions planned to take the space into the modern era.
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