Historic Takoma Theatre To Be Renovated As Commercial Space

SILVER SPRING, MD — A commercial real estate investment company Rock Creek Property Group announced they broke ground on restoration of the historic Takoma Theatre Wednesday. The former theatre—just a five minute drive from Silver Spring—will be preserved while simultaneously converted into a commercial building.

Takoma Theatre was build in the 1920s by architect John Jacob Zink, and was one of the first theaters in the area to feature "talkies," or sound films, in 1929. Zink went on to design more than 200 theaters around the country.

Due to the theater's significant history, Rock Creek Property Group plans to restore the original exterior of the theater, while building the interior to meet the needs of businesses and apartment tenants.

"Our goal was to modernize the property and flood the interior with natural light, while restoring much of the exterior and enhancing the historic features of the property," Rock Creek Principal Gary Schlager said.

The project went through the Historic Preservation Review Board approval process, and the group decided on restoring the Takoma marquee sign and the original structural-steel trusses.

The interior will be used for apartments, offices, retail space, the arts, music, theater space and/or food vendors.

"The Takoma Theatre will have few equals in the city once our renovation is completed," said Schlager.

The building is set to be completed in the summer of 2017.

Photo: Mr.TinDC/Flickr, Rock Creek Property Group