A Wallaceburg councillor is working to breathe new life into the Jeanne Gordon Theatre.
At their meeting held Monday night, Chatham-Kent council approved a five year lease extension on the building.
Members were also asked to consider a motion that the theatre remain status quo, which would only allow for the space to be used for storage and showing presentations. However, Councillor Aaron Hall requested the issue be brought back to staff for further review.
Noting that the Wallaceburg Secondary Plan touches on culture and the potential for theatre space in the area, Hall wants to have more consultation with other stakeholders about the future of a theatre or venue for arts and culture in Wallaceburg.
The theatre, which is located on the second floor of the Wallaceburg and District Museum, has not had any plays and performances take place for the past couple of years due to it not meeting the current building or fire codes for theatrical performances. The area can still be used for meetings, booth events, and general usage.
A consultant that did a life safety study report on the requirements to make the upstairs hall into a theatre to meet all required codes, estimated that it would cost almost $2.8 million to do so.
The life study report estimated that it would cost just over $1.7 million to make renovations to make the theatre into a community hall and meet all building and fire codes for halls.
