Theater and Hotel Projects Win San Jose's Golden Nail Awards

The San Jose Downtown Association honors participants in the restoration of the California Theatre and Hotel Montgomery.

The California Theatre and Hotel Montgomery--two longtime downtown landmarks that returned to glory and reopened this year--received the prestigious Golden Nail Award from the San Jose Downtown Association.

The association's Golden Nail Award recognizes exemplary contributions to the character of downtown.

Renovation of the 1927--built California Theatre from vaudeville movie house to the home of San Jose's opera company and symphony involved a partnership between the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and Packard Humanities Institute. Award recipient David W. Packard, president of the institute, became involved in the project in 1998 through Opera San Jose's Irene Dalis.

Besides agreeing to provide more than one-third of the refurbishing costs, the Packard Humanities Institute led efforts to preserve the historic fabric of the theater and ensure that the additions fit into its original character. Details such as the marquee, neon sign and movie poster cases were returned to their original form. The institute plans to restore two historic film projectors and equip the theater with Wurlitzer organs to show old film favorites in the classic setting.

Berkeley-based ELS Architecture and Urban Design was the architect for the three-year-long project. The Santa Clara office of Swinerton Builders served as general contractor and Foster City-based Rudolph & Sletten provided construction-management services.

The Hotel Montgomery originally opened in 1911, but sat idle and dilapidated for almost 20 years. In 2000, preservationists and the San Jose Redevelopment Agency saved the building by moving it186 ft. south of its original location.

Originally designed by architect William Binder and developed by T.S. Montgomery, DivcoWest Properties and Epicus Development renovated the structure into an upscale boutique hotel managed by San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hospitality. Paragon Restaurant and Bar occupies most of the lower floor.