Grants sought for old theater renovation BY LAUREN P. DUNCANlduncan@paducahsun Depending on grants and fundraising success, the makeover of Paducahs Columbia Theatre may begin next year. The Columbia Club, the nonprofit group leading the renovation, has been working for two years to bring the historic theater at 502 Broadway back to life. Currently, the progress depends on the group obtaining grants and funds to move forward with both hazardous material removal and design work for the theaters renovation. Landee Bryant-Greene, co-chairwoman of the Columbia Club, said volunteers have worked to do some of the cleanup work, but the group is unable to complete any further work. Rather, professionals need to be hired to work on removing lead-based paint, asbestos and petroleum contamination. Cleanup has not started as we need all funds in place before starting such a large endeavor, Bryant-Greene said. If some grants the Columbia Club is seeking are awarded, the group may be able to begin work next year. On Dec. 2, the group hosted a public meeting to discuss an Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Clean-up Grant its applying for, which would help cover the cost of hazardous material removal. Although its not clear how much money could come from the grant, Bryant-Greene said work could begin as soon as funds are awarded, which she said could be the middle of 2015. Total cleanup costs for the theater have been estimated at $300,000. In addition to the federal funding the group is seeking, it was awarded a $49,000 state grant this summer and also received a $25,000 pledge from the Merle W. Fowler Family Fund of the Community Foundation of West Kentucky. Once cleanup funds are secured, the group will be able to move on to its next step: design plans for restoration. The Paducah City Commission approved an application at its meeting Tuesday for a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town matching grant to be used for design planning at the theater. The estimated cost for the design plans is $294,000, which means the Columbia Club would need to match $147,000 to the $147,000 its seeking from the NEA. This is the third year the group has sought the grant. City Manager Jeff Pederson said he thinks the group has a better chance of receiving the grant because the request for funding is for design plans. In the past two years, the group requested the funding for feasibility studies. The overall Columbia Theatre renovation project is estimated to cost $5.8 million. The club hopes it can be restored and reopened by 2017. Bryant-Greene said 2017 is still the goal. The group is working to organize a capital fundraising campaign, but she said a date for the campaign to begin has not been set. We are working diligently to gain the funds to make the structure a safe place to take people on tours, Bryant-Greene said. You really have to walk into that space to get the full impact of its potential. It is an emotional experience for me every single time. And witnessing the reaction of those who see it for the first time is my favorite.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 13:30:39 +0000
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