ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 14, 1996 TAG: 9612160027
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: MARK CLOTHIER STAFF WRITER
The group trying to raise $500,000 to renovate The Lyric Theatre might soon be $150,000 closer.
Del. Jim Shuler, D-Blacksburg, will ask the General Assembly for $50,000 in historic preservation funds for the theater, which is on the state and national historic registers as a contributing building of downtown historic Blacksburg. The legislative session begins Jan. 8.
The preservation money would come with some strings, but none that conflict with renovation plans, said Lindsay West, chairwoman of The Lyric Council, a private nonprofit corporation overseeing the project.
The Lyric Council has a long-term, rent-free lease to operate and renovate the theater. After a seven-year dry spell, The Lyric started showing movies on a regular basis in February. It has since averaged about 1,000 customers per month at the weekend movies for a total of 12,228 through the end of November.
Major renovations are planned to begin next summer with a completion date to coincide with the beginning of the town's bicentennial celebration in January 1998. The rejuvenated Lyric will include an extended stage and upgraded backstage facilities, as well as a restored lobby, theater, balcony and facade.
Blacksburg Town Manager Ron Secrist has included $25,000 for the Lyric project in the town's capital improvement budget. Town Council will hold a public hearing on the budget Jan. 14; a vote is expected Jan. 28.
"We see the Lyric as a real viable activity center for downtown Blacksburg," Secrist said. "And I think we're already seeing that with more people coming downtown and staying there for shopping and eating."
West said The Lyric Council has also asked the Virginia Tech Foundation, The Wheat First Butcher Singer Foundation and The Corning Foundation for $25,000 each.
She said she hopes to attract the remaining $350,000 with a donation plan that includes allowing people to make pledges to be fulfilled over a three-year period.
LENGTH: Short : 45 linesby CNB