WCS Construction, LLC has been selected by The NHP Foundation for the core and shell of the historic Strand Theater. Built in 1928, the Strand served as a 600-seat movie theater, dance hall, and pool room for more than 40 years.
According to the DC Preservation League, the building, designed in a “stripped-down version of the Renaissance Revival style,” was the first movie theater built for Black patrons east of the Anacostia River. The League listed the theater on their list of endangered places starting in 2007.
The 6,000-sq. ft. historic theater will be converted into a restaurant with the idea and hope to provide jobs and amenities to the residents of the Strand Residences next door. Core and shell work will include improvements to the building envelope including new windows, roofing and interior preparation for a restaurant.
The project has a targeted completion date of September, 2022.
