Seattle Press on Line - New Bay Majestic is a Beautiful Asset to Downtown Ballard

New Bay Majestic is a Beautiful Asset to Downtown Ballard

By Tom Herriman

Oct 04, 2000 -- The new Bay majestic theater in Ballard is one of the most beautiful movie theaters you have ever been in. It's not the extravagant overdone fantasy land of the great movie palaces of the '20s. It is designed and built with grace, good taste, good craftsmanship and understatement.

From the black granite counter tops at the popcorn stands to the hand crafted mahogany wainscoting and trim throughout the building, its clear that somebody cared a lot about every detail of putting this theater together.

Of course it was many people who built this new jewel of Ballard's Northwest Market Street. The inspiration and resources came from Ken Alhadeff, scion of the Emerald Downs race track family and successful businessman in his own right. And from his wife and children who participated and supported many phases of the design and construction.

Marleen Alhadeff supervised the decor including design of the delicate and whimsical chandeliers. Their children work in the concession stands. The building was designed by Weinstein Copeland architects.

Unbelievably, there are three theatres in the space which had occupied by the one-screen original Bay since 1914--the main floor 200 seat auditorium and two 100 seat totally separate theaters somehow squeezed in upstairs. Really good insulation means that you don't hear a sound from the adjacent halls when you are watching a movie. There seem to be no bad seats in any of the three theaters, because of steeply banked rows of extremely comfortable seats.

Debbie Miller trains Andrea Alhadeff on the popcorn machine.

Alhadeff bought the old building with hopes to renovate it. But the wooden structure was too far gone. When the family realized they would have to rebuild, they decided to make it the most beautiful neighborhood theater in the U.S.

This theater will transform Northwest Market Street. It will stimulate new traffic and new business, it will bring people into downtown ballad from all over Seattle, and it will stimulate a lively streetscape until late in the evening. It will bring a new level of energy the quiet and comfortable small-town atmosphere of downtown Ballard.

Combined with the new library and park a block away and the influx of several hundred new apartment and condo dwellers, Ballard is going to be transformed.

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