Newport Opera House Theater to become nonprofit theater, performing arts center

THIS RENDERING shows the rooftop garden planned for the Newport Opera House Theater and Performing Arts Center. The project will receive $3.1 million in state historic tax credits once it is completed. / COURTESY NEWPORT ARCHITECTURE LLC
THIS RENDERING shows the rooftop garden planned for the Newport Opera House Theater and Performing Arts Center. The project will receive $3.1 million in state historic tax credits once it is completed. / COURTESY NEWPORT ARCHITECTURE LLC

NEWPORT – The Newport Opera House Theater will receive state historic preservation tax credits for a conversion to a nonprofit theater and performing arts center.
The opera house, one of the oldest surviving theaters in the country, anchors Washington Square in Newport. It will receive $3.1 million in state historic tax credits, the R.I. Division of Taxation announced Wednesday, on project completion.
The $14.5 million renovation is sought by applicant Newport Performing Arts Center. The project has previously qualified for a $4.2 million grant through the Rhode Island Creative and Cultural Economy Bond, approved by state voters two years ago.
According to a project overview, the theater constructed in 1867 has had several successive renovations. In its early years, the opera house supported performances by musicians and public lectures, including one by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1872.
As part of the renovation, the exterior will be reconstructed at the fourth floor and mansard roof, intended to match the original as much as possible.
The interior of the historic opera house was gutted in a 1929 renovation, when it was converted to a motion picture house, and a decorative interior installed. This was later covered in a 1970 renovation.
The current owner plans to restore the interior to the 1929-era appearance, removing all work from the 1970s and after.
A project timeline indicates the architectural and engineering plans were to be completed in November, with construction beginning in the spring. The project is expected to be completed in 2018.
The architect is NewPort Architecture LLC. Construction manager is Farrar & Associates.

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