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Foundation hopes to restore and reopen Culpeper's old State Theatre by fall 2012 Date published: 1/29/2011
BY DONNIE JOHNSTON
There is no signed contract and the exact cost of the project has not been determined. Still, the State Theatre Foundation yesterday held a symbolic groundbreaking to signal the restart of a multimillion-dollar restoration project designed to make the theater a centerpiece of downtown Culpeper. "We think we've come up with a project this community can afford," foundation board of directors' Chairman Tad Loving told the gathering of about 60 people yesterday. While the exact cost of restoring the circa-1938 Main Street theater and creating a new addition is still uncertain, the overall cost of the project is estimated to be about $8.5 million. Part of that figure represents the cost of the building, which was built by Benjamin Pitts. Entrepreneur Greg Yates salvaged the theater from demolition about 10 years ago with the sole intent of restoring it, then helped create the nonprofit foundation and deeded over the building. Since that time, the foundation has spent $1 million on design costs, come up with about $3.2 million in tax credits and raised another $2.5 million from what the foundation calls a "core of contributors." That $2.5 million was enough to cover most construction costs. The contracting firm of C.L. Lewis started work this week. But the foundation will need an additional $1.5 million to actually get the theater operational. Loving said yesterday that the foundation is hoping to get 1,000 people to contribute $1,000 each to help make up the difference. The donations would be tax deductible. Foundation officials approached the Culpeper Town Council early last year and asked for $1.5 million in backing--not necessarily cash. But in the midst of a recession, the council turned them down. Loving's pitch was that the foundation could get the restoration project done much more cheaply during hard economic times because contractors were hungry. C.L. Lewis became interested enough to work with the foundation under these unusual circumstances. The council did allocate $50,000 in federal facade grant money to the project in December. Loving admitted that the decade-long project has often been frustrating. "There have been times when we thought it wasn't going to happen," he said. Loving added that the foundation anticipated having the restoration completed within 18 months. "We hope to open in the fall of 2012," he said. He said the facility will provide "affordable" entertainment--live shows and movies--for both local residents and tourists. The Library of Congress' Packard Center in Culpeper has pledged to assist the foundation in showing vintage films at the refurbished State Theatre. The foundation will begin its latest fundraising drive with a Paul Reisler concert at the Hazel River Armory at 8 p.m. on March 12. Donnie Johnston:
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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