FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2009
Contact:
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission: Jessica Fagan – 614.995.7552; jfagan@culture.ohio.gov
Logan County Landmark Preservation Inc.: Annie King – 937.599.3687; artist@bright.net
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission Approves
$100,000 for Holland Theatre
Columbus, Ohio –The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission approved $100,000 at its quarterly meeting today for the Holland Theatre in Bellefontaine.
The state funds will assist with the purchase and installation of a stage lighting system and code-required safety lighting in the theater, as part of the theater’s overall restoration project. According to the project sponsor, Logan County Landmark Preservation Inc., the Holland Theatre is the only Dutch-style atmospheric theater in the United States, and perhaps the only one existing in the world. Built in 1931, the brick exterior mimics the stepped-gable style of traditional Dutch architecture, and the interior auditorium was designed as a convincing representation of a 17th-century Dutch cityscape. The theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been closed since 1998, and is expected to be fully renovated and reopened in 2011.
The Commission approval, coupled with the signing of legal agreements, allows Logan County Landmark Preservation Inc. to be reimbursed on a pro rata basis with funds appropriated in Am. Sub. H.B. 16 of the 126th General Assembly. Logan County General Assembly members who voted in favor of the bill include former Senator Larry Mumper and former Representative Anthony Core.
The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission is a state agency that supports economic development, expands educational opportunities, and enhances the quality of life for Ohioans by improving the state’s cultural facilities. Since 1988, the Commission has disbursed more than $400 million in capital funds appropriated by the Legislature and Governor for facility improvement projects at nonprofit theaters, museums, historical sites and publicly owned professional sports venues. The Commission partners with nonprofit groups and local governments on more than 300 projects in 72 of Ohio’s 88 counties. For more information on the Commission, visit www.culture.ohio.gov.
