Plaza Theater (Tucson)
Encyclopedia
The Plaza Theater was the crowing jewel of 1920s development on West Congress Street in Tucson and the only indoor Spanish language
theater in Southern Arizona
. The theater was designed by renowned local Tucson architect Roy Place
in 1930 for A. Kaufman a local commercial developer and pioneer merchant and leased to Los Angeles
theater operator Joe Gross. Kaufman declared the night before opening that he;
Built on the corner of West Congress and Plaza Streets (later Court Street) the exterior was constructed in a Spanish Revival style with cast ornamental details framing the upper windows and red clay barrel roof tiles. The ground floor included two commercial storefronts. By the 1940s the original marquee
had been enlarged and the lower level window and door configuration changed. The decorative cast terracotta Spanish revival details and original neon sign remained intact.
The interior decorations were described at the time of opening as "being typical of the old southwest
motif. The auditorium
will have seating capacity of 650 and will be modern in every respect with ample heating, ventilating and cooling systems. Acoustic plastering will be used throughout and is designed along the most modern methods for the projection of sound pictures." When constructed the building had a state-of-the-art RCA
projector and sound equipment, "the walls lined with a highly absorbent material to insure perfect acoustics."
The theater was purchased by Arizona 'theater czar' Nick Diamos, also the owner Tucson Lyric Theater and involved in the development of Tucson's Fox Theatre. Artist Ted DeGrazia was the theater manager for three years in the late 1930s.
At the time of demolition the Plaza was owned by Belardo M. Campillo and Jesus M. Granillo. The last owners were forced from their property by the City of Tucson and its urban renewal
program. The owners reminded the city "that if the Plaza goes, nothing of the Old City will be left in the area."
The plaza was demolished on May 15, 1969.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
theater in Southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The theater was designed by renowned local Tucson architect Roy Place
Roy Place
Roy W. Place was a Tucson, Arizona architect.Born in San Diego in 1887, Place moved to Tucson in 1917 after working in Chicago and the Boston firm of Sheply, Rutan and Coolidge. Place partnered with John Lyman in 1919, together constructing over 20 buildings in Tucson. Place worked independently...
in 1930 for A. Kaufman a local commercial developer and pioneer merchant and leased to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
theater operator Joe Gross. Kaufman declared the night before opening that he;
Built on the corner of West Congress and Plaza Streets (later Court Street) the exterior was constructed in a Spanish Revival style with cast ornamental details framing the upper windows and red clay barrel roof tiles. The ground floor included two commercial storefronts. By the 1940s the original marquee
Marquee (sign)
A marquee is most commonly a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel or theatre. It has signage stating either the name of the establishment or, in the case of theatres, the play or movie and the artist appearing at that venue...
had been enlarged and the lower level window and door configuration changed. The decorative cast terracotta Spanish revival details and original neon sign remained intact.
The interior decorations were described at the time of opening as "being typical of the old southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
motif. The auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
will have seating capacity of 650 and will be modern in every respect with ample heating, ventilating and cooling systems. Acoustic plastering will be used throughout and is designed along the most modern methods for the projection of sound pictures." When constructed the building had a state-of-the-art RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
projector and sound equipment, "the walls lined with a highly absorbent material to insure perfect acoustics."
The theater was purchased by Arizona 'theater czar' Nick Diamos, also the owner Tucson Lyric Theater and involved in the development of Tucson's Fox Theatre. Artist Ted DeGrazia was the theater manager for three years in the late 1930s.
At the time of demolition the Plaza was owned by Belardo M. Campillo and Jesus M. Granillo. The last owners were forced from their property by the City of Tucson and its urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
program. The owners reminded the city "that if the Plaza goes, nothing of the Old City will be left in the area."
The plaza was demolished on May 15, 1969.