Palladium Theater awarded $2.5M from Pinellas bed tax fund

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Palladium Theater was recently awarded $2.5 million from Pinellas County’s tourist development tax fund, when the capital project request was unanimously approved by commissioners, allowing the St. Petersburg venue to move forward with major renovations.

“That was the last money we needed to really start this project,” said Paul Wilborn, Palladium Theater executive director. “So it’s very exciting.” 

Wilborn said money granted from Pinellas County on Oct. 7, combined with grants from the State of Florida, the city of St. Petersburg and private donations, total $10.8 million for the renovation project, which is expected to begin in late summer next year.

“We’ve raised over $7 million, almost $8 million, in private donations. So we’ve got more still to come,” he said. “I think it just shows that we’ve stayed with our mission of being this community-focused venue that really works with local people in our community. And that’s paid off for us.”

The renovations include completely replacing all 815 seats, which will have a new configuration to improve sightlines, re-raking the balcony and removing the plaster ceiling for better acoustics.

“We’re dropping in an acoustic ceiling,” said Wilborn. “There’s 12 feet of attic above the current ceiling, and that’s going to let sound rise up in there and have some curtains that we’re able to drop when we’re doing amplified music.”

Due to rising costs, Wilborn said they had to remove a few items from the renovation list, which include an orchestra shell and raising the performance stage. He hopes to raise more money in the future to complete those projects.

“We still think there’s going to be things we want to do additionally,” said Wilborn. “So we’ve got more still to come.”

The Palladium was built in 1925 as a Christian Science church and is on the Register of Historic Places. Since 2007, the theater has been owned and operated by St. Petersburg College.

Wilborn said he expects the renovations to begin next August and the Palladium will go dark for about one year until the work is complete.

“We very likely will close the whole theater for eight to 12 months,” he said. “We might do some satellite projects. We’re still debating that.”