An opened wall reveals water damage at the Liberty Theater.

The sight of an 80-foot-tall boom truck climbing its way up the height of the white glazed terracotta exterior of the Liberty Theater in downtown Walla Walla might have caught some attention.

In the past, the Liberty Theater turned heads when its owner, Julian Saturno, received a warning from the Walla Walla city authorities to stop hosting private events. The warning derived from a misunderstanding about the theater’s occupancy conditions, he said.

Originally a Macy’s department store, the building underwent renovations in 1991 that involved creating openings in the fire walls to allow for connections to the adjacent block. However, the openings have since been sealed to eliminate the risk of fire spreading throughout the block.

Now, the arrival of the boom truck heralds the beginning of a detailed examination of the building’s condition.

Nathan Munk, a corporate architect who has been hired to oversee the restoration of the Liberty Theater, said the building has seen better days, certainly before Macy’s took over the lease of the space.

“The Macy’s occupancy of the building was one of neglect,” Munk said. “They didn’t respect that this (Liberty Theater) was a performance hall … They signed a lease that said they were responsible, and they recognized this was a historic structure, and with that comes a list of requirements to maintain it.”

The Liberty Theater was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Munk said Macy’s should have been checking the roof at least twice a year during its occupancy, but the amount of damage and water accumulated on the roof has led him to think the department store failed to do that.

Standing water and a leaky roof is a recipe for disaster that has led to mold and rot in the theater’s facade and walls. Munk said the existing masonry has been soaking up the water for the past 30 years.

“What we are doing right now is investigating what the condition of the building is,” Munk said. “We want to get the water going outside because right now it’s going inside. The building is like a pyramid, it’s crumbling from the top.”

Restoration work

Munk is working with Saturno to restore the assembly hall back to its original use. He said restoration is not to be confused with remodel or renovation for a new use.

It’s not a simple process and there are thousands of decisions to be made to bring the building back to its former glory while also bringing it into the 21st century.

It is no small feat. There are numerous hoops to jump through and collaboration is not only inevitable, but necessary. He said the city of Walla Walla has been particularly helpful.

“A lot of people look at the city as an obstacle,” Munk said. “We view them as a resource.”

He said the building’s international design is what makes it a landmark downtown. He said the restoration process will not remove the memories that many have of the theater.

Eventually both he and Saturno hope to create a website where people who had attended the theater during its heyday can share their experiences and memories.

“This is a treasure for Walla Walla,” Munk said. “We want to keep it that way.”