Largest Theater in Ogden with Seating Capacity of 2000

Alhambra Theater Company Buys Land From Fred J. Kiesel and Proceeds to Make Arrangements to Erect a Building 88 Feet by 180 Feet, 45 Feet High, With Concrete Walls and Roof—Stage to be Erected 35 Feet by 86 Feet—Great Organ to be Installed.

Through a deal consummated yesterday, the Alhambra Theatrical company has become the owners of the property on Hudson avenue, between the Colonel Hudson and the Hurst buildings, on which the new Alhambra moving picture theatre will be built. The property was purchased from Fred J. Kiesel. It was at first thought that Mr. Kissel would put up the theatre building. The Alhambra company, however, desired to be left entirely free in the consummation of their plans regarding the theatre and the deal was accordingly made, which gave them the ownership of the land.

The plans for the theatre are now in the hands of Shreeve Madson, architects, and will he submitted to the contractors for bide within the next ten days. The house is to be built entirely of concrete —this includes the roof also—and the building and grounds will cost $150,000. The structure will he 45 feet high, 88 feet wide and 180 feet deep and between it and the Colonel Hudson building an alleyway 10 feet in width and running from Grant to Hudson avenues will be left.

The building will be similar in construction to the American theatre in Salt Lake City. In front there will be four store rooms and a lobby 40 feet in depth.

Over the lobby a balcony will be built, with a seating capacity of 640 persons. The auditorium will contain 1326 seats and the orchestra pit will be the largest in the state.

One of the unusual features in a house of the kind will be a large stage. This will he 35 by 86 feet or larger than the stage of the Orpheum theatre in Ogden.

This was arranged by the company so that any theatrical production on the road could be staged upon it with ease—not even excepting "Ben Hur." There will he a basement under part of the building, in which will be installed a heating and ventilating plant similar to the one that is in the American theatre in Salt Lake City, which is recognized as the best in the United States.

There will be seven exits from the auditorium, four at the north side, one at the south and two at the rear and on the west and north there will be a ten-foot right-of-way.
The company already has arranged for the installation of a pipe organ fully as good as the one in their big Salt Lake house and the architects are to take special precautions to make the acoustic properties as near perfect as possible.

The architectural design of the lobby and interior of the building will be after the Louis XVI period with the color scheme of the delicate tints of the same period, to harmonize with the lighting effects. An indirect lighting system will he installed for the purpose of doing away with the eye-strain under the bright glow of unprotected incandescents.

It is expected that the building will be ready for occupation within six months.

The Alhambra Theatre company is composed of Charles Ziemer, president: Albert Scowcroft, vice president and H. A. Sims, manager.