Fancy Facade
A new marquee for The Kessler pays homage to the past but shines brightly forthe future
Owner Ed Cabaniss worked with a preservation architect to get the new Kesslermarquee approved. It looks like it's been there all along.Photo by Melissa Hennings
Before the Kessler facade looked incomplete.
Between a tornado in the late 1950s and a fire in the '60s, The Kessler theater in Oak Cliff has been through hell. But, now, it's really back.
Three years ago, Edwin Cabaniss revived the historic landmark and turned it into an eclectic venue for live music, art exhibitions, dance classes, weddings, political debates and more. Capturing the essence of the original theater with a grand marquee — a replica of the original signage — was always the plan. But it wasn't until 2012 that Cabaniss could "clear the hoops" and really get started on the new face of the façade.
"It was a process," says Cabaniss. And clearly a project driven by passion, as it required persistence and patience.
"The marquee serves as the final exclamation point on the whole construction process," says Kessler owner Ed Cabaniss.
Because The Kessler is in the oldest historic district in Dallas, Cabaniss began with the Winnetka Heights Association. After it was approved by the neighborhood, there had to be a unanimous vote on both local and federal levels — from the Landmark Commission and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
"It turns out that [U.S. Department of the Interior] guidelines, which were part of the '70s tax codes, were even more strict than the Landmark," Cabaniss says. So he hired preservationist architect Marcel Quimby to determine whether this project would ever pass. "Absolutely," Quimby said.
After more than two years of processing and serious forensic-like analysis, Cabaniss aimed to pull off the project by New Year's Eve. And that he did.
Cabaniss says that building the marquee was not just about the exterior; it involved electrical work and interior renovations as well. Now, instead of a banner, passers-by and patrons see the retro sign — one that looks like it has been there all along.
"We pulled photos from the bowels of the basement at the city office on Jefferson Avenue," Cabaniss says. "We only have black and white photos of the original sign. But we do know the tiles are original to the building, so we can only assume that the color matched."
What makes the signage even more special is that everyone who helped was local — even as close as the Winnetka Heights neighborhood.
"This has been a rare combination of a project that has worked out socially, spiritually and financially," Cabaniss says. "It’s very hard to get projects to speak to all those different needs, and, to me, that’s what the cool part is. The marquee serves as the final exclamation point on the whole construction process."
Cabaniss is glad to be finished with the construction part of the theater and ready to focus all of his energy on the programs.
