Arden Theatre expands up North Second

When the Arden Theatre turns 25 next year, its Drama School, Children’s Theater, and set/prop shop will move into a new home just up North 2nd Street from the Arden’s main building.

After years of looking for a place to expand, the Arden purchased the 22,000 square foot Classic Lighting Emporium building at 62 N. 2nd Street in 2010. Since then the Arden has been working to raise money and work with architect Richard Conway Meyer to develop plans to renovate the building into the Hamilton Family Arts Center. The facility will include an 80-seat theater, classrooms, a rehearsal hall, and a production design studio.

The Arden has raised more than half of the $5.8 million needed to build the new facility – named for Dorrance H. Hamilton’s leadership gift – from private, state, and foundation sources.

Here’s the site last week:

Here’s a rendering showing the future Hamilton Family Arts Center: