Plan for Princess Theatre money comes into focus

The board for Tucumcari’s Princess Theatre on Thursday formed a rough plan of action for $250,000 in recently received capital outlay money: Use a portion of the funds for asbestos and lead removal in the long-closed venue and the rest would go to facade improvements.

The Tucumcari City Commission earlier this month approved a capital outlay grant agreement from the state for the Princess Theatre. The New Mexico Legislature earlier this year approved a capital outlay allocation of $250,000 for the theater.

Board member Matt Monahan said he was disinclined to pay an architect for another study on the theater because of the high cost.

Instead, he recommended “shovel-ready” projects so the city can show progress with the state money it’s received and make a better case for requesting more capital outlay funds for the theater. Mayor Ralph Moya said state Sen. Pete Campos has voiced a willingness to urge more capital outlay money for the Princess.

City manager Paula Chacon said she could call an asbestos-remediation firm that could quickly schedule an inspection of the Princess Theatre for $2,500 and provide an estimate for asbestos and lead remediation.

Monahan offered to assist Chacon on drafting a request for proposals to improve the theater’s facade, which she accepted.

The facade work would be done without the marquee, which disappeared years ago and its whereabouts remain unknown. A replica marquee cannot be reinstalled because it would intrude on the road’s right-of-way.

Monahan said he wishes to have the board formally recommend the asbestos and facade plan to city commissioners by October.

Christy Dominguez, co-owner and general manager of the Odeon Theatre in downtown Tucumcari, said she would be able to use any discarded black tiles from the Princess facade for facade renovations for her theater.

The Princess was built by Arch Hurley and partner Gene Hawkins as the H-H Theatre in 1917, and it was renamed the Princess Theatre a few years later.

The theater closed in 1962 after a fire, and it never reopened.