Wires as old as the Visalia Fox Theatre have talent buyer Ryan Stillwater worried.
"The integrity of it is 80 years old. So if that were to go out spontaneously we would be in pretty rough shape," said Stillwater.
Beyond replacing old wires, theatre organizers also hope to add a new marquee but are currently about twenty thousand dollars short.
“So we are not quite to our goal to make it happen but I’m confident the community will see the value in it," said Stillwater.
A value Glenn Morris, who is President and CEO of the Visalia Chamber of Commerce, is well aware of.
"The fox is kind of that iconic piece in the center of downtown that really is a magnet for a lot of what happens down there," said Morris.
Stillwater believes the Fox's growing attendance alone justifies the additions and three sold out shows in 2012 have him optimistic about 2013.
"Just hard ticket events, we had twenty thousand in attendance last year. That's a good thing for downtown Visalia and Visalia in general," said Stillwater.
And for community members that support "Finishing the Fox", the investment is a good idea for more reasons than just business.
"Yeah, both from a historical conservation perspective as well as I think it is good for business," said Wayne Schenk.
