HISTORY

The Charles R. Wood Theater history dates to late 1995 when a group of private business leaders in Glens Falls, NY convened with a common goal to strengthen the downtown commercial district of Glens Falls, NY.  Glens Falls, a typical small downtown, experienced failed urban renewal in the 1960s, the flight of traditional retail in the 1970s and 80s, and a significant economic downturn in upstate New York in the 1990s.  This group of business leaders formed a non-profit economic development corporation called Partners For Progress Development.  Later that year the Woolworth Corporation closed its Glens Falls location and Partners For Progress identified the property, the largest and most modern on the main block of downtown, as a key to the downtown’s future and purchased it.

At the same time the Adirondack Theatre Festival (ATF), a non-profit professional summer theater that had its first season in 1995, was looking for a place for its second season in 1996.  Given the ATF’s strong roots in New York City’s Off-Broadway theater, they looked for vacant storefronts such as those often used as performance spaces in larger urban areas.  They approached Partners For Progress about using the vacant Woolworth Building for the summer festival in 1996.  That summer ATF brought crowds of people downtown and retail stores and restaurants enjoyed a profitable summer.

ATF returned each summer to perform in the vacant Woolworth Store.  As its success grew, it became more apparent that a year-round community performing arts venue in the Woolworth store could have a positive economic and cultural impact on the region.  And the Woolworth Theater Project was born.

In June 2001, the public fundraising effort was kicked off by a $250,000 challenge grant issued by the Charles R. Wood Foundation.  If the community would match that amount, then the foundation would donate a second $250,000.  Local individuals and corporations met the challenge in an astonishing 3-month period.  The project’s capital campaign was off to a wonderful start.

Throughout the next two years, the capital campaign continued and ground was broken on the theater in the summer of 2003.  At this ceremony, the theater was officially named for one of its largest supporters, Charles R. Wood.  Ten months later the facility opened with a community celebration on June 12, 2004.  And the celebration continued throughout the summer as the Adirondack Theater Festival performed their Tenth Anniversary season.

THE BUILDING

Downtown Glens Falls, along Glen and Ridge Streets,  runs about ten blocks with building heights of two to six-stories.  The "great fire" in 1864 destroyed most of downtown and city leaders were quick to rebuild, but with better fire-resistive masonry construction.  Smaller fires consumed portions of downtown until as late as 1962.  As businesses prospered, outmoded structures were torn down and replaced or their storefronts were renovated.  This growth continued until the late 1960s, when Interstate 87 (the Northway) was constructed and diverted traffic away from downtown.  Therefore, the downtown is representative of commercial development and prevailing architectural styles from about 1865 to 1965 with the majority constructed between 1880 and 1920.

The Woolworth store building at 207 Glen Street is a wonderful example of downtown Glens Falls' commercial architecture. It was one of four "five-and-dime" stores in downtown.  The original store burned down in 1956 and was quickly replaced with the current structure.  This new building was designed in the more modern "International Style" with a horizontal band of windows at the second floor, a cantilevered metal canopy over the sidewalk and smooth masonry surfaces.  As modern as it might be, the building's two-story proportion, varied masonry colors and its alignment along the sidewalk allow it to blend in and reinforce the downtown fabric.

The Woolworth building represents the culmination of a century of commercial prosperity and development in downtown Glens Falls.  The building, in a highly visible location for both auto and foot traffic, serves as a reminder of what downtown Glens Falls once was and can be again.

THE DESIGN

The design process of the Woolworth building began with a design competition in late 1999.  Four entities were invited to propose a design with common specifications (number of seats, general locations of the lobby, stage, offices, retail space etc.)  Mind’s Eye Consultants’ unusual, inventive and simple concept was selected as the winning design.  In addition to a superior design, Mind’s Eye also offers considerable theatrical experience and strong vision of the potential of the Project.  In addition, Mind’s Eye felt that Post-Modern buildings like the Woolworth building are just beginning to assume their place as architectural treasures and the look of the building was important to preserve.  To execute the winning design, Joy, McCoola, Zilch Architects and Planners was retained as the Architect of Record.

Mind’s Eye and Joy, McCoola, Zilch have worked to maintain the major elements of the façade including the brick, marquee over the sidewalk and the retail storefront.  A vertical sign, with the name of the performing arts center will rise above the trees and neighboring buildings. Patrons will be able to purchase tickets from a box office in the Outer Lobby.  The Inner Lobby contains a staircase leading to the upper seating levels, an elevator accessible to all three levels, refreshment area and access to the performing space.  The façade, outer and inner lobby will be unified by floor and ceiling treatments which will invite the audience’s movement from the street to their seats.