Fort Wayne arts organization planning $40M upgrade to downtown center
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(rendering courtesy of Arts United)
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(rendering courtesy of Arts United)
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(rendering courtesy of Arts United)
A nearly 70-year-old not-for-profit arts agency in Fort Wayne is preparing to undergo a major renovation this summer.
Arts United, which provides a variety of services for arts organizations throughout northeast Indiana, is investing $40 million to expand and modernize the Arts United Center in the city’s downtown.
President and CEO Dan Ross says the facility has not seen any major renovations since it opened in 1973, and the organization is still looking to raise the final funds needed to complete the project.
Ross told Inside INdiana Business the enhancements to the building will benefit audience members, performers and employees.
“It was built pre-ADA, so there are real vertical accessibility challenges in the building, and there are significant technology challenges in the building,” Ross said. “We’re essentially running on an infrastructure which was built in the Apollo era, and trying to run modern theatrical technology in the building, it’s just a challenge.”
The Arts United Center houses performances from the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, Fort Wayne Ballet, and Fort Wayne Youtheatre.
The primary focus on the project, Ross said, will be to make the facility full accessibly, bringing it in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Plans call for an addition that will create a new lobby with an elevator to provide greater access to all levels and areas of the building, including the second floor rehearsal halls.
“In that new expansion, we’ll also have room to add a family restroom; we do not currently have that in our building,” Ross said. “And it gives us the opportunity to have accessible drop off for patrons on the north side of the building, and be able to move directly into the front seats of the auditorium through this new corridor that we’re creating.”
Among the changes on the production side are a new acoustical shell for orchestra and musical performances, automated stage rigging, specialty lighting and audio equipment for accessibility, and a new community scene shop.
The project will also create new administrative space for the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, as well as modernized HVAC, lighting, networking and security systems, the organization said.
“We’re looking to make sure we’re not just meeting today’s needs, but able to serve this community for the next 50 years, in an effective way,” said Ross. “[The renovations] allow us to serve more organizations. They allow us to bring in a variety of people who can access these art spaces, again, with the intention that these are community spaces. Arts United owns and operates these on behalf of the community, but we want to make sure that all people in our community have access to arts and cultural experiences.”
Last week, the city of Fort Wayne announced it will allocate $10 million in New Markets Tax Credits to Arts Untied in support of the project. The city said the organization’s application for the tax credits demonstrates the importance of Arts United Center “as a community asset worth investing in.”
”Arts United is a vital piece of Fort Wayne’s efforts to be the best community possible as a point of destination for residents and visitors,” Mayor Tom Henry said in a news release. “We’re building a quality of life that’s second to none with arts and culture being a focus area. We appreciate and value our partnership with Arts United and look forward to what lies ahead with the expansion and modernization work.”
Ross said the project has received significant financial support from both the public and private sectors, but the organization still needs to raise between $8 million and $10 million to fully fund the effort.
“To date, we have approximately a little less than $16 million in private sector funding for the project, and we have 23 different donors that are $100,000 or above. We have eight different donors that are $1 million or above. I think that just says a lot about the breadth of support in our community for this project, again, both from the private sector as well as the public sector.”
Arts United plans to seek out more federal historic tax credits, and Ross said he is confident that they will be able to hit their fundraising goal.
The organization plans to break ground on the renovation in June, with the goal of completing all work ahead of the 2025-2026 season.
You can learn more about the project, including how to donate by clicking here.