Historic Theater Closed For Repairs Heavy Snow Last Winter Damaged Panida’s Roof

A sagging, unsafe roof has forced Sandpoint’s historic Panida Theater to close its doors temporarily.

Trusses on the 80-year old building were damaged by heavy snow last winter. A structural engineer’s report this week said the theater is unsafe and needed to be closed until support beams are installed inside.

“We noticed the theater ceiling sagging a bit in places, and the roof was sagging as well,” said Panida Executive Director Karen Bowers. “It’s major work. We are closed to the public right now.”

The theater will reopen next week after four temporary support columns are placed inside near the stage. It won’t be pretty, architect Bruce Millard said, but the columns will allow performances to continue.

“We are kind of going back into another period for a while, stepping back into the 1700s instead of the 1900s, when medieval theaters had columns,” Millard joked. “At least we caught the problem early. There could have been much more damage.”

The ornate ceiling, walls and light fixtures of the mission-style theater were not damaged and won’t be affected by repairs.

Bowers said the insurance company is reviewing the damage and may pay for some of the repairs. Panida officials did not have an estimate of what it will cost to fix the roof. A contractor is being sought, and Panida officials hope to get the work completed and the columns removed before winter.

It’s possible some performances at the Panida will be rescheduled or canceled during the construction. This Saturday’s Steve Kaufman concert has been moved to the Gardenia Center.

The 600-seat Panida is booked every weekend of the year. It’s used for concerts, the “Nutcracker” ballet and movies. The community bought the theater and saved it from being torn down about 12 years ago.

, DataTimes