Courtesy Pabst Theater Group
The Riverside Theater is getting a makeover. Today the historic venue on West Wisconsin Avenue announced that it will begin construction not only on the larger, new marquee it requested permission to build from the Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals this summer, but also on a 40-foot tall vertical sign above that marquee. The Milwaukee-based company Poblocki will construct and install the marquee and sign, which was designed by the Pabst Theater Group's art director Jason Gierl in collaboration with Poblocki.
Andy Nelson, PR director for the Pabst Theater Group, which manages the Riverside, says the sign represents the organization’s commitment to the venue, which had periodically been on the chopping block over its 87-year history. These days its future is far more secure. A decade after taking over Riverside operations, the Pabst Theater Group has moved beyond “saving the Riverside,” Nelson says, and entered an era of upkeep and renovations. In the last year, the organization has repaired plaster. Installed air curtains, fixed water pipes and replaced the theater’s inner doors and entrance doors. Next year it will replace the theater seats.
“What this marquee and sign will do for the average person in Milwaukee or person visiting Milwaukee is show them that this theater is still alive, and that it’s health and it’s not going anywhere,” Nelson says. “It’s also going to be a good addition for West Wisconsin and Downtown. Whenever you see a city on national television or in the movies, one of the things they always show is the old theater marquees. We’re hoping this becomes another iconic thing for the city.”
Nelson says that the new sign and marquee could be completed by December.
