Seat Replacement Project
After many years of waiting, the Landmark Theatre is finally replacing its auditorium seating. You may have questions, we have answers:
How is the Landmark able to do this?
This project would not have been possible without a two million dollar capital improvement grant from the State of New York, secured by Assemblyman William B. Magnarelli, which will also address the marquee replacement. We have also received capital improvements grants from the Central New York Community Foundation, the Fred L. Emerson Foundation, the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, the John Ben Snow Foundation, and the Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation. Countless others have made contributions large and small to this project and the Landmark operations, and we couldn’t accomplish this without them.
What will the new seats be like?
We have done all we can to retain the historic look and feel of our auditorium and the new seats will resemble the existing seats as closely as possible. We are keeping the arm rests and decorative aisle ends which carry so much of the charm of the theatre. All of the seats will have a more ergonomic design and modern materials which will substantially improve the comfort of the seats.
What is happening to the old seats?
We are preserving two sets of three seats in the upper balcony left and right as legacy seating. Select seats will be preserved both on and off site. Others will be sold as memorabilia to fund this and future capital improvement projects (click here for more info). Lastly, many of the old seats will be scavenged for parts so that other theatres with similar seating models can extend their useful lives. Because we are retaining the aisle ends and arm rests and because the seat legs are designed for the specific pitch and angles of our auditorium, the bulk of the seats will not be useful after demolition.
Are there any other improvements?
We will at long last be able to dramatically increase our wheelchair accessible and ADA seating.
How long will this all take?
Three months! It’s a big room and there are many, many chairs.