NEH awards Fitchburg State $500K for downtown theater project

Image | Courtesy Fitchburg State University Fitchburg State University plans to build a new 250-seat black box theater in Downtown Fitchburg.

A old theater building in Downtown Fitchburg

Photo | Timothy Doyle This theater in downtown Fitchburg is being redeveloped by Fitchburg State University.

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By Timothy Doyle

Fitchburg State University received $500,000 from a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant to support the construction of a 250-seat black box theater adjacent to a historic theater in downtown Fitchburg.

“We are grateful to the NEH for supporting this public-private partnership that will be transformative for our students while enhancing the quality of life in the city and region,” FSU President Richard Lapidus said in a Tuesday press release. “This theater space will create singular learning opportunities for students, provide a state of the art resource for community groups, and drive the continuing revitalization of downtown Fitchburg.”

The black box theater construction is the second phase of the redevelopment of a vacant theater at 717 Main St. In the first phase, the university built a studio for students studying game design and an ideaLab to support local businesses.

The restoration of a 1,700-seat proscenium theater will be the final piece of the project.

The challenge grants offer 1:1 matching funds to organizations for capital projects. Ten percent of the award can be used for fundraising costs, according to the NEH website.

The university received $2 million for the project as part of the $1.7-trillion omnibus spending bill passed in December.

The project is a key piece in the revitalization of downtown Fitchburg. The city is partly banking on cultural institutions to help bring its downtown back to life. The city has an historical connection with arts and culture.

“At the turn of the century, this was a railroad hub. There were hotels and over a dozen theaters. It was something people did back then: stay at one of the hotels and go see a show,” local historian and gallery owner Peter Capodagli told WBJ in October.