Fox Theatre Institute grant helps with renovation, repairs at Theatre Albany

ALBANY — Theatre Albany has been awarded more than $34,000 by the Fox Theatre Institute for facade repairs following damage from the January storms that slammed Albany and Southwest Georgia.

Theatre Albany’s grant of $34,393 accounted for about 40 percent of the $85,981 total that the Fox Theatre Institute awarded four Georgia theaters through its urgent/emergency needs grant program.

Mark Costello, artistic director of Theatre Albany, said the grant, the application for which was initiated by Rozanne Braswell, the city of Albany’s senior planner at the time, will help with the cost of the needed renovations and repair work that was done to the theater building at 514 Pine Ave. this past summer. The work was completed days before last month’s opening production of the 2017-18 season.

“They (Fox officials) came down and did an on-site visit to see what we were doing to the building,” he said. “Then they awarded the grant.”

Fox Theatre Institute officials visited again last week to give final approval of the work before releasing the funds, he said.

“You have to submit documentation of what you spent,” Costello said. “It’s helping to pay for the renovation work we did.”

The theater underwent repair work that included repainting woodwork and the facility’s massive front columns. Theatre Albany also had to install a new access ramp for handicapped patrons to access the building.

Fox Institute officials said the grant program is designed to give a helping hand to community arts organizations, like 85-year-old Theatre Albany, which often find themselves strapped for cash to pay for needed work on their facilities.

“Awarding urgent or emergency funds are a top priority for FTI,” Adina Erwin, vice president and COO of Fox Theatre Inc., said. “Historic venues can find themselves in great financial need, and we are fortunate to be able to respond with non-matching grants for immediate funding.

“In our first year implementing the urgent and emergency funding, we found four key performing arts venues to support, ensuring their patrons ongoing access to the arts. We are continuing to accept applications, and we hope to continue to fill in gaps of funding to support Georgia’s important architectural and cultural landmarks.”

For a theater or performing arts center to receive one of the grants, the historic venue must have operational needs that require immediate action to save the structure or unanticipated delays that hinder the venue’s ability to maintain its programming and economic health.

The Urgent/Emergency Need Grant is one of four grant-funding categories through FTI. The others are Historic Structures Studies or Planning, Technical Assistance and Services, and Preservation. Combined, they allow for up to $500,000 statewide in grant subsidy.

“The Fox Theatre Institute provides needed financial resources for historic theaters who have struggled to find partnering, supporting, or matching fund programs,” Leigh Burns, director of the Fox Theatre Institute, said. “Currently, no other organizations in Georgia provide grant assistance specific to theater preservation, and notably direct funding that does not require a match.

“For many treasured Georgia historic landmarks, we are the only option to staying operational while making necessary repairs to ensure audience safety. The organizations that utilize our funds are the lifeblood for our downtowns, and spur community and economic development for their hometowns, and often the broader Georgia regions.”

Since FTI was created in 2008, the organization has committed more than $1 million to its grant programs. Its 2017-18 awards season began May 1, and it is not accepting additional applications for the current season with the exception of the urgent/emergency needs program, which has a rolling application.

In addition to Theatre Albany, the urgency/emergency needs grants announced Wednesday include:

— Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts, Conyers: $11,348 to replace a 17-year-old HVAC unit in time for the theater’s scheduled programming;

— Festival Hall, Greensboro: $19,640 to install a new floor that is safe for performers and theater staff;

— DeSoto Theatre, Rome: $20,000 to upgrade the 88-year-old theater’s fire safety features.