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Farmers Branch could move quickly to fund improvements at The Firehouse Theatre after theater leaders told the City Council the nonprofit has grown its attendance, programming and revenue but needs more functional space inside the city-owned building.
The discussion came during the theater’s annual update at the June 16 council meeting. No vote was taken, but City Manager Ben Williamson said the city could bring back a budget amendment if council members want to add the project to the current budget.
The money would come from the hotel-motel fund, Williamson said.
“The answer is yes,” Williamson said when asked whether the city could move quickly. “We can move quickly with council support.”
David Moore, executive director of The Firehouse Theatre, said the proposed work is not a major renovation. It includes removing a cabinet, painting a wall and adding stainless steel so a popcorn machine can fit. It also includes removing a wall to expand the lobby.
Moore said the theater seats 160 people, but the lobby now holds about 35 people “semicomfortably” and 40 “very uncomfortably.” Removing the wall could allow the lobby to hold about 80 people, he said.
“This is not an emergency,” Moore said. “Water’s not coming out of the floor. The roof’s not leaking. These are some things that just make the building more functional.”
Moore said city staff had discussed a rough figure of about $40,000, but the project had not been bid. The final cost could be lower, he said.
Council member Roger Neal asked Williamson whether the work could be completed within 60 to 90 days. Neal said the changes appeared needed to make the theater more comfortable for patrons.
“It’s a fantastic amenity we have here in Farmers Branch,” Neal said.
Moore told council members the theater recently leased 1,300 square feet nearby to move its offices and one off-site storage unit. He stressed that The Firehouse Theatre is not leaving historic Fire Station No. 1. Productions, concessions, dressing rooms, the lobby and the scene shop will remain there, he said.
The additional space is intended to help the nonprofit expand education programs, including acting, voice and dance classes, and eventually provide rehearsal space.
Owen Beans, the theater’s artistic producer, said The Firehouse Theatre has presented seven mainstage productions since last year’s update, along with two Firehouse Junior musicals, summer camps and a new performing arts series featuring North Texas artists.
Recent productions have drawn strong attendance, Beans said, including more than 2,000 patrons for “Rock of Ages” and more than 2,100 for “Young Frankenstein.” The theater also expects to serve about 75 students through its summer camps this year, with many coming from Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD and Farmers Branch.
The theater reported more than $1.2 million in revenue during the past nine months, up from a little more than $750,000 during the same period a year earlier. Moore said $50,000 of the increase came from the city’s economic development grant, while the rest came from programming, patrons and donors.
Moore said about 20% of patrons come from Farmers Branch. He also said the theater works with nearby restaurants on dinner-and-show packages and show-themed drinks as part of an effort to support the city’s entertainment district.
The theater is in a stronger position after several difficult years following the pandemic, Moore said. But he pointed to other North Texas theaters that have closed, paused programming, lost space or changed leadership in recent weeks.
“It just shows how important it is that we continue partnering,” Moore said, “and continue to make sure that this is a viable endeavor in our city.”
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