Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater is a New York State and National Historic Registry Landmark. In 1997, the theater was donated to the Gowanda Area Redevelopment Corporation (GARC), a non-profit organization. In 1999 the GARC chose HHL Architects to lead the theater’s restoration project, which would be broken down into two phases. Phase I included design and construction documents for a full replacement of existing roof systems on all four levels of the theater, roof drainage piping, modifications to associated parapets/walls as required, asbestos abatement, and clay masonry repair.
Phase II focused on restoring the building envelope, further roof parapet masonry restoration, and further targeted asbestos abatement which was removed from the joints on the clay camel-back coping. Also included was the restoration of the marquee, restoring all metal work and painting, replacing all neon lighting letters and electrical service, replacing the soffit, replacing and repairing the hand placed message board and incorporating a new electronic message board. Completed in 2004, both phases of the project were under the supervision of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).