State Theatre aims to finish building restoration

The show isn’t over when it comes to restoring the Sioux Falls State Theatre.

About five years after reopening at 316 S. Phillips Ave., the 155-seat nonprofit theater marks a century in downtown Sioux Falls this year and is setting its sights on the future.

“We really have a pulse on what the community wants to see … and we get to curate that each week with a variety of programs,” executive director Allison Weiland said in an update Tuesday to the City Council.

“The State Theatre reintroduced a steady flow of people downtown on weeknights all the time, times when downtown activity can be hard to sustain.”

The theater shows movies Wednesday through Sunday and often hosts private events Monday and Tuesday.

More than 200,000 patrons have visited since it reopened in December 2020, and 1,150 different movies have been shown.

As a single-screen theater, “we are blowing it out of the water,” Weiland said. “It really is going really well. Our audiences are very loyal, and they’re returning.”

While the restoration initially covered the lobby and main-floor space, supported by a lead gift from Denny Sanford and a contribution from the city of Sioux Falls, there always has been a vision to restore the second and third floors, as well as the balcony.

“We know there is demand for that capacity and that want to get the building fully restored,” Weiland said. “It’s exciting work. This is going to be wonderful for our programming, and it’s going to complete the State Theatre so it has that complete finish as a community gathering space.”

Some restoration has started on the second floor, including identifying new chairs to potentially use for the balcony, which “don’t fully recline, but they are very, very comfortable,” Weiland said.

The unfinished third floor “really is a gem,” she added. “It’s a really beautiful building.”

The nonprofit is actively fundraising for the final phases of restoration but didn’t announce a timeline. In 2019, estimates put that work at $2.5 million to $3 million; however, construction costs have increased since then, and the theater is updating its estimates.

“We do have a lot of work to do, and I have a lot of faith we’ll be able to do it,” Weiland said.

To mark the 100-year anniversary, the theater plans a yearlong celebration, including a series of films throughout cinematic history and a Golden Gala on April 18 to celebrate.

“We know the State Theatre is more than a building,” Weiland said. “It’s a cornerstone of Sioux Falls cultural legacy.”