When Tampa Theatre opened in 1926, it was considered ahead of its time. The theatre ceiling simulated the night sky with glowing stars, and a light machine that imitated a moving cloud. The lobby and theatre that seated 1,400 also cooled with the newly invented air conditioning, or what newspapers then referred to as “manmade air”.

The Tampa Theatre today still operates as a movie house and concert venue, while maintaining the original décor inside and outside. Now, a planned three-year renovation costing $21 million will preserve the historic look while welcoming a new era at the theatre, with the addition of a second screen and third-floor event space.

Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Agency approved $14 million for the project, and the rest of the costs will be raised through a fundraising effort – the Second Century Campaign. A new 43-seat theatre will be in the neighboring 1,200 SF storefront that the City of Tampa has owned for over a decade. Tampa Theatre hired Boston Light & Sound to construct the new theatre, a company that Tampa Theatre President/CEO dubs the “Best in the world”.

Bell describes his vision for the new theatre as a microcinema, showing the same mix of movies the main theatre does, while also providing options for local film makers who do not have a need for 1,400 seats. The main theatre will also undergo reservations, with the famed ceiling being repainted, the famed stars’ bulbs being replaced with a fiber optic lighting system, and the non-functional cloud machine will be fixed.

Another important aspect of renovations will be making the building ADA-accessible. While much of the theatre is ADA accessible, the stage for the main theatre is not. Construction will add stage chairs that can collapse into a ramp at the push of a button. A new elevator will also make the third floor ADA-accessible.

The third floor has been nicknamed the Tampa Theatre Graveyard, as the theatre stores the buildings historic items in the 2,200 SF space. By 2026, the third story will become an event space just in time for the 100^th anniversary of Tampa Theatre.