San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and other city officials broke ground today on a $5.3 million project to renovate the city’s historic Bayview Opera House plaza and building.
Over the next year, construction crews will transform the plaza outside the building at 4705 Third St., highlighting its historic façade and creating an outdoor theater and landscaped area for children’s activities and community events.
Other changes include an expanded lobby at the opera house, stabilization of its historic balcony and improved accessibility for disabled visitors.
The opera house, a nationally registered historical landmark constructed in 1888, will be closed during the construction.
Bayview Opera House Inc., the nonprofit that runs the opera house and its Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre, will work from a satellite office across the street and will continue providing arts programming and education in the neighborhood during the closure.
Mayor Lee said in a statement that the renovation represents “a major milestone in San Francisco’s commitment to the Third Street corridor and the Bayview community.”
He said, “I look forward to seeing this restored venue and open space flourish and draw people from throughout the neighborhood and beyond.”
Supervisor Malia Cohen, whose district includes the opera house, said the project “is a great example of the city working together to support a critically important cultural institution.”
More information about the opera house can be found online at www.bvoh.org.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
