CLAREMONT — Though progress has been slower than initially anticipated, the effort to renovate a historic three-story brick building on Opera House Square for use as a performance venue and a multiuse cultural center for the arts got a boost this week with a private donation and an approved grant application.
On Thursday, T-Mobile announced that the Claremont Creative Center was a recipient of a Hometown Grant of $50,000. On Wednesday, the City Council approved an application for a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant. So far, about $1.4 million has been raised for the project, which will be the new home of the West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts. Founded in 2008 by Melissa Richmond, a Stevens High School graduate and classically trained flutist, WCCMA has been holding performances and music classes in Union Church in West Claremont since its inception.
In search of a larger space to increase programming and educational offerings, Richmond said they began discussions to restore the vacant early 20th-century building that was originally a bank and most recently a restaurant that closed about 30 years ago.
On Thursday, standing inside the former restaurant, Richmond said they have a construction company lined up to do the work for phase I, which would convert the first floor into a 90-seat performance area with a separate room for a commercial kitchen. She hopes construction can begin in a couple of months with the expectation for the performance space to be ready by late summer or early fall.
“With our 15th-year anniversary coming up, we are hoping to have some performances there,” Richmond said.
While the construction has a cost estimate of $1.4 million, the full phase I fundraising goal is $2.2 million to cover the cost of equipment for the kitchen and performance area.
Donations for the project have been received from a number of area businesses through the purchase of tax credits and additional funding has come from the Capital Regional Development Council, the Community Development Finance Authority, nonprofit foundations and the city.
The upper floors of the building, which is owned by the Claremont Development Authority, can be serviced by an elevator that was installed in the adjoining Farwell Block a few years ago. Some interior demolition has been done and in 2018, the city used a $70,000 grant from the federal Brownfields Program to remove asbestos, an oil tank and lead from the building.
The long term goal for the project is to renovate all three floors to include an art studio, practice rooms and a recording studio.
“We are creating a multi-use space for the performance, exhibition, teaching, and creation of music, visual, and culinary arts in downtown Claremont,” the Claremont Creative Center website states.
For more information visit claremontcreativecenter.org/.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
