The theater had been saved from demolition in the '70s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to Stockton architect Tom Bowe, of Wendell Matthias Bowe, "the original splendor had been diminished by years of poor maintenance, water damage, inappropriate paint jobs and ill-thought modernizations."
Jeff Greene, renowned as an expert in decoration of historic theaters, encouraged the architects to investigate the historic appearance of the theater, and made recommendations for restoration of the ornate plasterwork and decorative painting. As president of EverGreene Painting Studios Inc., of New York and Chicago, since 1978, Greene has been involved with the restoration of 150 theaters across the U.S. He is also an active board member and sponsor of the League of Historic American Theaters, the leading advocacy and education organization for the preservation and operation of historic theaters.