The rebirth of the New Granada Theater in the Hill District could include the return of the marquee that served as the venue’s beacon for decades.
An affiliate of the Hill Community Development Corporation will go before the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment Dec. 14 to seek a variance to reinstall the historic marquee at the corner of the building on Centre Avenue.
Ryan England, partner in City Studio, an architectural and engineering firm, said the vertical blue and gold marquee is being re-created by studying parts of the original sign still being held in storage.
“It will in every way possible match the historic marquee,” he said.
The original pieces, Mr. England explained, could not be used because they were beyond restoration.
“They’re all pretty rusted and it didn’t make sense trying to repair them,” he said. “The damage was extensive.”
The 56-foot-high marquee debuted with the opening of the theater in 1937. Before that, the building at 2007 Centre Avenue had served as a temple for the Colored Knights of Pythias, a fraternal order, and featured a banquet hall and auditorium that could be converted into a basketball court.
But it was the theater that gave the structure, designed by prominent Black architect Louis Bellinger, its place in history.
The New Granada became a music mecca, drawing jazz greats including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Cab Calloway. It is said that Duke Ellington was crowned the “King of Jazz” at the New Granada. James Brown also played there.
But the venue fell on hard times in the late 1960s and has been empty since then.
The Hill CDC is now spearheading its revival.
It broke ground in May on a project that will transform the old theater into a multipurpose event venue, a cafe lounge, and a University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center on the top floor, which will include jazz and African poetry programs and a digital inclusion center.
The conversion is part of a broader development that also involves a $16.5 million apartment building.
Mr. England said the New Granada marquee was removed after the building fell into disrepair. Returning it will restore “one of the most prominent features” of the venue.
“It’s a real landmark site in the city. We’re really excited about it and I know a lot of other people in the city are excited about it,” he said.
The marquee will feature some form of neon lighting. In addition, the project includes the restoration of the horizontal New Granada sign that ran the length of the building along Centre. Mr. England said a variance is needed for the marquee because it does not conform with current zoning requirements.
The Hill CDC has been working for more than two decades to restore the theater. The redevelopment of the theater and the New Granada block were deemed as priorities under the Hill District master plan.
“It’s one of the most significant African American historical sites in our city. You can say it played a role in the development of jazz. I think the restoration of the theater is a real statement of the value to the city,” Mr. England said.
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com
First Published: November 30, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: November 30, 2023, 10:47 p.m.
