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City officials in Coos Bay could soon seek a contractor to restore the exterior of the town’s 88-year-old movie theater.

Work is already under way on the interior of the Egyptian Theatre off of U.S. Route 101 after volunteers raised more than $550,000. Before fundraising finishes, more than enough money should be available for restoration of the exterior to start, said Bob More, capital campaign coordinator of the Egyptian Theatre Preservation Association.

The theater is owned by the city, but managed and cared for by volunteers for the association. That puts a bit of a wrinkle in the contracting process, More said.

“Because the city still owns the theater, there’s a little different game in terms of bidding than would apply in the private sector,” he said.

The exterior restoration would be put out to bid as a public project, subject to construction manager-general contractor rules.

Before 2006, the theater was owned by Coming Attractions Theatres. City officials bought the theater and put its management and operation in the hands of the association and its volunteers.

“Fortunately, (city officials) also saw it as a treasure that needs to be preserved,” More said.

An engineering study commissioned in 2011 concluded that the building needed $3.7 million in seismic upgrades.

“Everyone went through shock,” More said. “This happened right at the time of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.”

City officials decided to close the theater while volunteers came up with a strategic plan. The first step was re-examining the $3.7 million price tag, More said.

“A lot of people thought it was the wrong number,” he said.

A second engineering study was done – this time by a firm that specializes in old concrete buildings and aging theaters. The price dropped to $700,000 for both the interior and exterior. That also included slightly lower expectations, More said.

“We recognized early on that the real goal was to get the theater reopened, not to completely restore the theater,” he said.

A more thorough restoration will take place when the exterior work wraps up, he added. A price for that project isn’t set yet.

“There’s some real interest in changing the exterior so people can see that something has happened inside,” More said.

Completion of the interior work should result in a grand re-opening next April, he said.

Local businessmen in the 1920s approached Portland architect Lee Arden Thomas to design a 1,240-seat silent movie and vaudeville house. The Egyptian Theatre opened on Nov. 19, 1925, at a cost of $200,000.

More said the greatest part of the restoration project has been working with city officials.

“Everything has always been with the full cooperation of the city,” he said. “There’s been this major partnership over the long haul. In a small, rural community, city governments and nonprofits can work together and make miracles.”