Bomes Theater to get redesign for mixed use

JAMESTOWN – The historic Bomes Theater will be reconfigured from retail to a mixed-use facility, including a retail courtyard that faces the street and flexible office space inside, which could be subdivided as needed.
“The idea was to create a really special place that will give an address and more visibility to the retail,” said Donald Powers, founding principal at Union Studio Architecture & Community Design, the project architect.
The redesign will create about 1,800 square feet to 2,000 square feet of retail, which could be configured into differing footprints, he said.
Leases for the office space, meanwhile, will be made available on flexible terms, enabling small businesses to try out the space without an extended commitment, according to the architect.
The historic façade of the 1920s-era building will remain. Existing Narragansett Avenue entrances will be enlarged and connected to an open-retail courtyard with a small garden and pedestrian access, according to Union Studio.
Opened as a theater in 1921, the building operated as a movie house through the 1970s. More recently, it operated as an indoor retail mall. Construction is planned to begin in late spring, with completion coming in the fall, according to Powers.