RUDOLPH AND SLETTEN PROVIDES CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE HISTORIC CALIFORNIA THEATRE, NEW HOME OF OPERA SAN JOSE

FOSTER CITY, CA (July 21, 2003)—Rudolph and Sletten, Inc., the construction manager for the renovation of San Jose’s landmark California Theatre, announced today the completion of Phase Two of the building’s restoration and buildout. The Phase Two buildout includes construction of a new 102-foot tall multi-level stage house. The historic theatre originally opened in 1927, and was the first “movie palace” in downtown San Jose.

Final completion of the $53 million structure, which will be the new home to Opera San Jose, is scheduled for May 2004. Rudolph and Sletten has been managing the project for The Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose since 1999, when the project was still in the schematic design phase. The Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose funded two-thirds of the cost of the renovation. The Packard Humanities Institute funded the remaining one third of the budget. In addition to housing the Opera, the theatre will also be used for other live performances as well as for classic films.

The level of complexity of the project, combined with its historic preservation aspects, made it especially suitable for the construction management skills of Rudolph and Sletten, who have managed a number of theatre and historic preservation projects. The firm’s recent theatre projects include the Mexican Cultural Heritage Center in San Jose; COPIA, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa; and the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for the Visual Arts at Stanford University (Stanford Museum).  Recent historic renovation projects include the Hanna House at Stanford University, as well as the San Diego Museum of Art, Beringer Blass Wine Estates in St. Helena, St Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton and portions of the new Sun Microsystems Campus in Santa Clara.

The stage house provides a larger footprint for a wider and deeper “thrust” stage, to meet the needs of the repertoire offered by Opera San Jose. As a result of an agreement with the neighboring Hyatt Hotel, the new wall of the stage house is built closer to the hotel, and is cantilevered out on two sides to make it wider and deeper.

The new tower of the California Theatre is ten feet higher than the original stage house, and includes a basement level below the stage for offices and storage of orchestra equipment. In addition to the stage level, the stage house also includes a “fly tower” level for the automatic retraction and storage of rigging and scenery. The stage itself will have special traps to transport performers and props from below the stage. It will also feature an orchestra lift that opens into varying configurations, depending on the needs of the production. Phase Two also included the relocation of the service driveway to the basement level loading docks for the Hyatt Hotel and two other adjacent buildings, and relocation of its entrance from Market Street to First Street.

Phase Three, to be completed by next spring, will include the restoration of the interior of the historic 1200-seat theatre and lobby, as well as the building of two wings on both sides of the existing theatre. The theatre buildout will involve the installation of new theatrical systems, including special lighting, rigging, sound, and AV systems. Phase One of the construction, which began in 2000, involved the demolition of the old stage tower and the demolition of a three level parking structure. ELS Architects, Berkeley, is the architect of record.

“The level of complexity of restoring the California Theatre really required that we have a top notch construction manager working on it with a full time staff,” said Sharon Jones, who is project manager for The Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose. “We had to put up new structures that tie into an existing historic structure, with all the challenges that brings. Rudolph and Sletten was selected because they are very customer service oriented and have had experience in theatres. We needed someone who would totally represent our interests on the project.”

“As the construction manager, we provide advice to the owner on constructability issues, cost issues, and scheduling issues,” said Rudolph and Sletten Project Manager Al Menchaca. “We assist the owner in monitoring the progress of the project, and resolving issues as they come up. We are able to draw heavily on our experience as general contractors. One of the major skills we have brought to the table is our ability to pre-plan. It has helped to save the Agency money time and time again.”

Overview of the Historic Renovation and Buildout
The original 18,000 square foot California Theater opened in 1927 and showcased movies in downtown San Jose until 1973, when the City revoked its license. The ornate structure, designed by the same San Francisco architectural firm that designed the Mark Hopkins and Sir Francis Drake Hotels, was a mixture of Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance styles. The Redevelopment Agency purchased the aging theater in 1985.

Feasibility studies showed that the old stage was too small for opera performances, so consultants looked at what could be done to adaptively utilize the theatre for opera. A larger stage to accommodate opera required a bigger footprint. Planners opted to demolish the original stage tower and build a larger, full height stage tower to accommodate a wider and bigger stage. At the same time, they decided to restore the building’s historic lobby and theatre, and add additional space for offices, production areas, and dressing rooms.

Construction management challenges faced by Rudolph and Sletten during the renovation included:

• Coordinating with neighboring building tenants and owners, including the adjacent historic Hyatt St. Claire Hotel, to minimize the impact of long-term construction. Rudolph and Sletten developed a construction mitigation impact plan to help lessen the effect of the project throughout the busy city neighborhood
• Developing and planning the entire design and construction schedule five years out
• Providing design assistance during the pre construction phase
• Coordination of the movement of easements, including relocating the service driveway from Market Street to First Street
• Helping to preserve the building’s architectural features, including the architectural plasterwork and painting, as well as the ornate ceiling above the theatre and the two organ loft areas on each side of the stage
• Tying the constructability of the new facility into the restoration of the old facility
• Overseeing the demolition of an adjacent parking garage and the old stage tower

Restoration of the Lobby and Entrance
The First Street Side will include restoration of the ornate historic entrance and lobby. The ornate plaster in the ceiling, along with its wood beams, will be restored, along with the plaster walls. Wood framed doors and windows will make the lobby resemble its 1927 era. A new marquee will resemble the original marquee. The original plaster façade of the building will also be restored with missing portions of the façade replicated by working from photographs.

Theatre Buildout
On the Market Street side there will be a new lobby to augment the historic lobby off First Street. The new Market Street wing will support behind the scenes activities for the new theatre, including dressing rooms, rehearsal hall, conference room, and secondary entrance to the theatre.

The new addition on the First Street side will house a courtyard, café, all the mechanical and electrical facilities in the basement, conference room on the second floor, and new expanded restrooms on the first and second floors, as well as handicapped access.

The theatre itself will be retrofitted with new auditorium seating for both the lower and upper level, as well as with the buildout of a new balcony level and orchestra. At the back of the new stage will be a control room, with a larger projector room upstairs. The theatre projector room and control room connect to the catwalk system that goes all the way out over the proscenium arch above the stage. Above the organ lofts on both sides of the proscenium wall are the dimmer room and the amplifier room.

Structural work includes providing additional steel and additional concrete beams to the framework. The concrete girder beams that support the balcony are also being strengthened and the roof trusses are being reinforced.

About Rudolph and Sletten, Inc.
Rudolph and Sletten (www.rsconstruction.com) is one of the leading general contracting firms on the West Coast. As a pace setter in the construction industry, Rudolph and Sletten has provided quality-oriented general contracting and construction management services for over four decades. Rudolph and Sletten’s expert professionals manage each job comprehensively, from site selection and preconstruction services through project completion. With its corporate headquarters in Foster City, the company also has regional offices in Roseville, Irvine, and San Diego, California.

Rudolph and Sletten’s building expertise includes virtually all types of projects with an emphasis on those markets where their technical expertise and quality excel: corporate campuses and office buildings, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, health care, electronics, semiconductor, and high-tech research. Other areas of expertise include parking structures, educational institutions, housing, public attraction, and retail facilities. Rudolph and Sletten’s current clients include Hewlett-Packard, Genentech, Kaiser Permanente, Stanford University, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Chiron, eBay and the University of California.

About the California Theatre
Under the guidance of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose and with support provided by the Packard Humanities Institute, San Jose’s historic California Theatre is being restored to its full 1927 elegance. In addition, the 1200-seat theatre is being fitted with a new state-of-the-art stage house and theatrical systems, including acoustical, lighting and audio/visual systems, as well as specialized HVAC and other systems to provide audiences with a world-class performing arts facility. Upon completion, the Theatre will become home to the San Jose Opera. The Theatre will also showcase classic films, as well as arts and cultural films. The vision for the Theatre is for it to serve as a magnet for performing arts in San Jose and to enrich the lives of San Jose residents by providing an enriched cultural experience.

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