The historic Joy Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana was featured in an article recently in USA Today, talking about the restoration done on the theater after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005:

Kenneth Gowland, like most architects, isn't used to conducting building surveys in a boat. But when it came time to revive the historic Joy Theater in downtown New Orleans, there was just no other way.

Gowland recalls the scene when he first entered the theater last July to survey the building for restoration.

"At no point did anyone pump it out," said Gowland, owner of MetroStudio in New Orleans. "(The Joy Theater) was filled with nasty, stagnate water."

In 2005, the theater had been closed almost two years when Hurricane Katrina blew off much of its roof. The exposed, below-grade building collected large amounts of water as the storm devastated the city.

Gowland said the decision by four private developers to restore the theater reflects a growing realization that there are great business opportunities in the city's historical core.

Click the Read link below to read the full article.

According to the theater's web site, the Joy Theater opened February 7, 1947. While it did have a small stage, its primary use was as a movie theater. It closed briefly in 1978, but then closed for good in 2003.