The original colors of the Aurora Fox neon sign are shining again thanks to a $140,000 restoration project that began just under a year ago.
The restoration of the 1946 sign, a familiar sight along East Colfax Avenue in Aurora, was completed in June after an 11-month process. The sign was ceremonially relit on June 22 after the Aurora Fox Arts Center performance of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” at 9900 E. Colfax Ave.
The project brings back a vibrant red color that honors the original sign’s design, officials said, and replaces the faded aquamarine that defined its daytime presence. Accents of bright yellow and pale blue also outline the sign.
(Provided by City of Aurora)
“While a sign survey identified yellow on the tops of the F-O-X letters, it wasn’t until hand scraping the paint off the rest of the sign revealed yellow in other places as well as a light green accent color on the blade and bullnose,” officials wrote.
The restoration’s $143,264 price tag was paid for with funds from various public sources, with half of the money coming from the city of Aurora, through its Historic Sites Program, which secured a State Historical Fund Grant in 2020, according to a statement.
The rest was covered by donations from Visit Aurora, the Aurora Museum Foundation, a public Aurora Fox donation fund and a city of Aurora funding match, officials said.
“The fact that about a fourth of the total renovation cost was covered by donations speaks to the importance to the community of this visual landmark in north Aurora,” said Ginger White Brunetti, director of Library and Cultural Services for the city of Aurora, in the statement.
“Similarly to the 1980s, when the community, private organizations and government banded together to make sure the Fox building was restored and transformed into a performing arts venue, the community rallied again to give the Aurora Fox a well-deserved facelift to greet people for the next 75 years,” she added.
The “historic Snap-Lok letters” attached to the aluminum tracks were also retained, and the neon tubing was reinstalled in mid-June, officials said. In addition to new coats of paint, the sign’s yellow upper marquee — an early 1960s addition — was replaced with white panels to reflect the building’s original design.
Da Vinci Sign Systems Inc., of Windsor, completed the sign renovation, while interior renovations inside the Aurora Fox Arts Center will continue with new seats, carpet, paint and accessible ramps, the city said.
The sign had weathered four decades of minor repairs and exposure to the elements before its restoration. It’s a milestone in the Aurora Cultural Arts District along East Colfax Avenue, which includes galleries, theaters, artist studios, and free music, comedy and theater performances at the People’s Building, as well as other offerings.
Denver architect Charles Strong designed the original Fox Theater in 1946 with a Streamline Moderne-style lobby attached to a World War II surplus Quonset hut, the city said. It was the main movie theater for Aurora residents, as well as the military personnel stationed at Fitzsimons Army Hospital and Lowry Air Force Base, according to the theater’s website.
A fire damaged the theater in 1981, they said, causing extensive fire and water damage that was later repaired, reopening in 1985 as the Aurora Fox Arts Center.